Ryanair chief calls for two-drink limit at airport before boarding

Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has reiterated calls for alcohol limits for passengers at airports before boarding, suggesting a maximum two-drink limit. 

The proposal comes in light of a rise in rowdy behaviour on flights, including from drunk travellers, a topic the CEO has been passionate about for several years.

In an interview with Sky News, Mr O’Leary said that passengers should have to show their boarding passes to order alcohol in an airport before flying, and be limited to two drinks maximum. 

“We're not trying to block everybody from drinking but you should show your boarding pass and that should limit you to two alcoholic drinks at whatever time of the day it is. And after two, have a cup of tea, have a cup of coffee.”

This would apply to all passengers flying at any time of day.

Earlier this year, the outspoken CEO also suggested an outright ban on alcohol sales in airports in the morning, alongside a two-drink limit for passengers flying later in the day.

In 2023, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) warned that the “increasing trend of unruly passenger incidents is worrying.”

For his part, Mr O’Leary said “one or two” planes per week have been disrupted due to drunk passengers on board.

“Think of the number of passengers who have had their holidays and travel plans disrupted because some idiot can’t control themselves or refuses to behave appropriately,” he said. 

Separately to his alcohol limit proposals, Mr O’Leary has recently made headlines for continuing his spat with Elon Musk over the installation of WiFi capabilities on Ryanair planes.

‘Airports couldn’t care less’ 

Mr O’Leary laid the blame at airports for exacerbating the problem of drunk passengers. 

“Airports couldn’t care less; they’re happy to sell alcohol because they know the resulting problems will simply be offloaded onto the airlines.” 

“It is not acceptable that we tolerate this misbehaviour and the authorities will not take any action. I divert an aircraft to an airport and the local police just want him or her back on the aircraft and send them back to the UK again.”

Airport staff expect their airline counterparts to deal with rowdy passengers, but “it’s too late once they [the passengers] are in the air,” he said. 

“If somebody lit up [a cigarette] on board an aircraft, it would be an international incident, you'd be arrested. Why do we allow drunk people to get on board aircraft?”

Despite the Ryanair chief’s complaints, it can be hard to identify drunk passengers prior to boarding since many are able to hide their intoxication.

What are penalties for disruptive behaviour?

Any limit to alcohol consumption would need to be introduced by airports themselves, or implemented at a national level through a law – both of which seem far-fetched proposals. 

However, Ryanair has been urging the EU to implement the rule at an international level.

Laws for disruption on a plane due to being intoxicated can differ based on the plane’s destination, arrival, and headquarters of the airline transporting the passenger, but can be steep. 

In France, disruptive passengers face fines of up to €10,000 and a boarding ban applying to all aircraft operated by a French airline for up to two years, doubled for repeat offenders.

In England and Wales, being drunk on a plane carries the penalty of an unlimited fine and the risk of up to two years in prison. 

If a drunk passenger commits any other offence, such as harassment or sexual assault, they are liable for these charges as well.