More drunken drama on flight to Spain as Ryanair pushes for booze crackdown
A flight from the UK to Ibiza had to be diverted to France when passengers started scrapping in the aisles
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has been causing ructions lately with controversial calls to crack down on booze on certain flights, or to at least reduce the number of beverages airports are allowed to serve. His comments have divided opinion: many people would welcome the restrictions, given the number of on-board disruptions of late, while still others argue that a small few shouldn’t be allowed to spoil the in-flight experience for everyone else.
The latest in a long line of incidents occurred last Sunday September 8, when a Manchester to Ibiza plane was forced to detour to Toulouse in France because a fight broke out among a small group of intoxicated passengers.
According to a spokesperson from the airline, a man and a woman were escorted off the plane by local police after becoming “disruptive” and “unruly” mid-air.
Another recent video posted on Instagram by @theibizabible shows a group of passengers playing a dance tune at full volume and singing and chanting on a packed flight to Spain. Lots of fun for those involved, but probably not the most pleasant or relaxing experience for everyone else on board.
But it’s exactly this kind of rowdy behaviour that Michael O’Leary is trying to tackle.
“We don’t want to begrudge people having a drink. But we don’t allow people to drink-drive, yet we keep putting them up in aircraft at 33,000 feet. As long as they can stand up and shuffle they will get through. Then when the plane takes off we see the misbehaviour,” he said.
The airline recently implemented a new policy on flights to Ibiza, whereby all passengers’ luggage will be checked to ensure they’re not carrying on any prohibited booze. This comes after several people were reportedly caught trying to smuggle on water bottles filled with vodka.
Image: Ryanair
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