Is Ryanair bringing in a two-drink limit for passengers?

Sophie Collins

Ryanair is continuing to call for a number of changes on board their aircraft citing issues some passenger’s behaviour.

The budget airline is now asking for a two-drink limit to be brought in at airport bars in order to provide “a safer travel experience for passengers and crews”.

This comes after Ryanair said it was going to be cracking down on bad behaviour in-flight after a recent incident on route to Lanzarote.

Last week, Ryanair spoke of the “intolerable” behaviour staff had to deal with from one man on a flight from Dublin to Lanzarote.

He was causing so much disruption that the flight had to be re-routed to Porto, where 160 passengers had to remain overnight – losing a day of their holidays.

Ryanair is now looking to receive €15,000 in damages against this person and a spokesperson said the airline will take legal action against anyone in future if a similar disruption is caused.

Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast, Dara Brady said: “If you get on a flight and you’ve taken too much alcohol, if you’re on a flight and it’s non-alcohol related and your behaviour is intolerable, we will do whatever we can to ensure that we follow up on it.

“It’s very, very serious because it is about protecting the other passengers and the crew who are flying with us.

“We want to make that as enjoyable as possible.”

In response to a fresh call from Ryanair for a drink limit rule, Dublin Airport CEO, Kenny Jacobs told the Irish Independent that the average person coming through Dublin and Cork Airports are consuming less than half a pint.

“Ryanair are absolutely right when they say that drink needs to be controlled better and that disruptive passengers should be dealt with,” said Mr Jacobs.

However, he went on to clarify that: “The average person who uses Dublin or Cork Airport who does go to a bar consumes less than half a pint.

“They’re not getting tanked up at Dublin Airport getting on aircraft. Drinks in Ireland are expensive. I know more people who are saying, ‘keep your money for buying a beer in Spain that costs you a third of the price’.

“I think it’s a matter more for UK airports and certain European airports than being an Irish matter.

“I don’t think a pan-European two-drink limit is something that’s going to change things in Ireland. We’ve got a very good relationship between airport police and An Garda Síochána.

“We stop and arrest more passengers for being drunk and disorderly at check-in than we do in the terminals [once they are through security].”