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Europe's largest budget airline, Ryanair, has complained this week about the “notable rise” in aggressive and unruly behaviour among passengers under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

 

The airline’s chief executive, Michael O’ Leary, said that the issue is becoming unmanageable for his cabin crew, who are now dealing with assault cases on board on a weekly basis. The problem is particularly pronounced, he said, on flights to top holiday hotspots like Ibiza and the Greek islands from Ireland and the UK.

 

"Ibiza is by far and away the worst destination for it," Mr O'Leary added.

 

As it turns out, the feeling is mutual as a recent report from the customer service department at Alicante Airport revealed that Ryanair accounts for more than half of all complaints received by the Costa Blanca terminal.

 

Ryanair, like a lot of the other airlines, have strict policies around drinking alcohol on board. Duty free booze is allowed, but it shouldn’t be opened or consumed on the plane. Unfortunately, there are more and more horror stories about passengers fighting, abusing flight attendants and causing diversions after sneakily tucking into duty free drinks.

 

What’s more, Mr O’ Leary believes there are now more passengers taking “powder” or “tablets” before catching a flight, which often results in aggression once they’re in the air.

 

Interestingly, Ryanair's director Sinead Quinn, noted that the culprits often fit no particular profile and are sometimes the people "you least expect." Mr. O'Leary also mentioned that passenger-on-passenger fighting is on the rise, indicating a growing trend of violence onboard flights.

 

But the Ryanair head honcho also took the opportunity to share some positive news amidst the challenges faced by the airline industry. After two years of airfare increases, prices have finally started to drop, and Mr O'Leary predicts a further 5% decrease as we head into the winter season.

 

However, he estimates that it won't be until summer 2025 that airfares will return to the levels seen in 2023.

 

 

Image: Archive