Ryanair has asked its home airport at Dublin to ban sales of alcohol before 10 am in a bid to get passengers on the plane before they can get drunk. The call came after a Saturday incident in which a plane to Ibiza diverted to Beauvais to remove about out-of-control partyers.
Ibiza and a number of other warm-weather islands are known for hard-drinking visitors, and some of them have taken steps to end the traditions. Drinking on planes to the islands has also become an issue, with potential safety concerns for passengers and plane.
Ryanair spokesperson Rob Kiely said that the incident “is exactly why we are calling for significant changes to prohibit the sale of alcohol at airports, such as a two-drink limit per passenger and no alcohol sales before 10am.”
He said: “It’s incumbent on the airports to introduce these preventative measures to curb excessive drinking and the problems it creates, rather than allowing passengers to drink to excess before their flights.”
Dublin’s not alone with the problem; other airports have taken steps, including Amsterdam Schiphol, which has been training staff to recognize potential problems and notify airlines.