We echo recent international news that have sparked an interesting debate on drunkenness on the plane and Breathalysers at the airport. We’ll tell you about it below and would love to know what you think about it!
In-flight altercations have increased considerably
It is not uncommon to read about Drunkenness on the plane and resulting in-flight altercations.
Although there are other reasons as well, a very high percentage of in-flight fights are due to passengers who have had one drink too many, triggering uncivic behaviour.
As a matter of fact, the number of aircraft having to be diverted for passengers with drinking problems has doubled between 2019 and 2024.
In the UK for instance, the number of drunken passenger incidents has tripled in the last five years, according to UK airports. EasyJet and Ryanair were named as the airlines where passengers were disrupted by drunken flyers most often, followed by British Airways, TUI and Jet2.
To give you an idea in numbers, in the year 2024 there were between 200 and 250 binge drinking incidents per quarter, that’s almost three a day. Some 1,500 incidents have been recorded in Spain in 2024, that’s 4 incidents a day.
Why are drunkenness on the plane incidents on the rise?
Largely because there are more delays and longer waits at airports and many passengers are having a drink in the meantime.
It is also true that there are certain destinations in Spain, such as Majorca, which are famous for their drunken tourism.
According to a survey, one in seven tourists travelling to Spain admits to being drunk on the plane.
Many of them drink out of euphoria to get to their holiday destination, to try to calm their nerves about flying or to try to pass the time. Some have already had alcohol at the airport, while others have a drink on board.
For most passengers it is simply a small pleasure on their journey. The problem begins when alcohol triggers aggressive and uncivil behaviour in the confined space of an aircraft.
Many of these altercations have forced pilots to divert the flight to hand over the disruptive passenger to the authorities.
Obviously, having to witness such an unpleasant commotion in the middle of a flight and being diverted to another destination, with the corresponding delay to the start of the holiday is a huge displeasure for passengers.
Nevertheless, airlines didn´t action until now, due to the dramatic increase in diversions and the corresponding costs involved.
Ryanair starts to take action
Recently a Ryanair Dublin – Lanzarote flight had to be diverted due to the uncivil behaviour of a passenger. This meant landing in Porto (Portugal) at night and leaving for Lanzarote the following morning.
The airline sued this passenger for the considerable sum of €15,000.
Additionally, on the one hand, the airline is calling for the installation of breathalysers at the airport to put an end to drunks on board. On the other hand, it is calling for limits on alcoholic beverages sold at airports.
The debate is raging, with Europe’s Airports Council International (ACI) responding that the idea would be great if airlines did not serve liquor on board. The breathalyser measure is ineffective if, once on board, travellers still have access to alcohol. The sale of alcohol, by the way, is what airlines profit most from when they are in the air.
In fact, airlines have the right to refuse boarding to any inebriated passenger.
Ryanair bans water bottles on board
To this dilemma is added a new controversy: Ryanair bans water bottles on board. A supposed solution with the excuse of avoiding drunk passengers. The reason is that they could be filled with alcohol.
But considering the above, one may wonder what is the real point if they continue to sell alcohol on board.
Is Drunkenness on a Plane illegal?
Drinking at the airport or even on the plane is not a crime. Many passengers enjoy a little drink after the security check meanwhile they wait in the boarding area.
A passenger on a plane commits no crime by being drunk. As long as you behave. To disruptive passengers airlines can impose hefty fines. In more severe cases, you might even face criminal charges.
Consequences for Disruptive Drunkenness on the plane
Depending on the severity of the disruption caused by a disruptive passenger:
- The airline can kick you off your flight or deny boarding due to being drunk.
- They can blacklist you and ban you from flying with that airline.
- Your travel insurance won´t cover any alcohol related issues. Which means you could lose your holiday and still will have to pay for it.
Why do you feel drunker on a plane?
The decreased pressure in the airplane results in lower oxygen in your body. Consuming the same amount of alcohol makes you more drunk in the air than on the ground. Bear that in mind.
This article is such a mess of AI-generated slop. The guy in the first picture has six fingers, the woman on the left in the second picture has no face, and there is also what seems to be a ghost flight attendant in the back of the second picture. the article itself is AI-generated text: ‘To this dilemma is added a new controversy’. Seriously??? Just delete the article at this point. You could have paid a certified writer to produce a more coherent piece of text as well and found free PNG images off of Google to save the wastage of tonnes of water and the use of tonnes of fossil fuels just to produce an article which makes no sense and barely anyone has read. Do better.
Hi Jude!
Thanks for your time and writing such a lovely, apprehensive and polite comment about IA generated content!
Just to let you know: The article is not IA generated. We take great care in creating original content. Obviously, it is not in our hands if anybody finds the content interesting or not. And lastly, we had great fun in creating – on purpose – the two IA images of drunkenness on the plane to give it a funny note.
Kind regards, Airmalaga