Ryanair wants a limit of two alcoholic drinks at airports, as the airline released further details of legal action to recover €15,000 (£12,615) in costs related to a diversion it said was caused by an allegedly disruptive passenger.
The airline has called on European authorities to bring in new curbs on alcohol to stop passengers getting drunk before boarding a plane.
Airlines reserve the right to deny boarding to anyone they deem to be excessively intoxicated. However, Ryanair now wants airports to require boarding passes be shown when passengers purchase alcohol at airport bars and pubs as they are in duty free shops.
“We fail to understand why passengers at airports are not limited to two alcoholic drinks (using their boarding pass in exactly the same way they limit duty free sales), as this would result in safer and better passenger behaviour on board aircraft, and a safer travel experience for passengers and crews all over Europe,”the airline said on Monday.
“During flight delays, passengers are consuming excess alcohol at airports without any limit on purchase or consumption,” it added.
This month, Ryanair revealed it was suing an unidentified passenger for €15,000 in an effort to recover costs when the flight from Dublin to Lanzarote was redirected to Porto last April.
In its case against the individual, being brought in Irish courts, the airline is claiming €7,000 for hotel costs for 160 passengers and crew, €2,500 in landing and handling fees at the Portuguese airport and €1,800 in the cost of replacing the crew because of restrictions on flying hours.
Ryanair is also demanding the passenger cover €800 for excess fuel costs, €750 in loss of inflight sales and €2,500 in Portuguese legal fees.
The airline said: “None of these costs could have been incurred if this disruptive passenger had not forced a diversion to Porto”.
Aircraft crews already have the right not to serve alcohol to passengers but Ryanair is now looking for legal limits in airports across Europe where the airline operate 3,600 flights a day in 37 countries.
“It is time that EU authorities take action to limit the sale of alcohol at airports,” it said.
Most airports in Europe sell alcohol, with British airports offering a range of high street style pubs.
Ryanair staff claim the problem is not so much with passengers drinking on the plane but with those who get inebriated at an airport, seem under control when they get on board and then become unruly during a flight.
After the Lanzarote flight was diverted last year the airline launched legal action in Portugal but the Portuguese prosecution authorities ruled that because the aircraft and the passenger were Irish the case should be heard in Dublin.
“Ryanair is therefore taking a civil proceeding against this passenger in the Irish courts to recover these costs, which were incurred wholly and exclusively as a result of the disruptive passenger’s behaviour, which caused not just a diversion, but an overnight in Porto of over 160 passengers and six crew member and the operating aircraft,” said the airline.
