Morning drinking at airports may be banned in all-hours alcohol crackdown Ban on all-day drinking in the pipeline as the Home Office plans to restore order in the skies

A recent announcement from the Home Office could mean boozy holidays will be forced to replace their traditional early morning pints with a regular coffee before flying. Pre-flight boozing could become history as the Home Office launches a review into round the clock drinking at UK airports.

The Home Office will determine whether airports should have to comply with licensing laws governing the rest of the UK. While some pubs, such as the Wetherspoons in London Gatwick, serve alcohol from 3am, new regulations could make alcohol consumption before 10am illegal.

A spike in drunken behaviour on board

The radical move comes after calls from the aviation industry to crack down on alcohol consumption before flights due to a hike in the number of arrests and in-air disruption caused by drunken passengers. Ryanair voiced its concerns about alcohol sales, advocating a two drink limit per passenger and no alcohol before 10am.

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One of the most shocking drunken incidents occurred on board one of the airline’s flights from Latvia to Manchester. An incredibly drunk passenger sexually assaulted another passenger and an air hostess, for which he was fined £1,000 along with an eight month prison sentence. The passenger was so sozzled he did not remember any of his actions.

Worryingly, alcohol-fuelled disturbances are on the rise. 417 reports of severe disruption mid-air were counted by the Civil Aviation Authority in 2017, a marked increase from the 195 cases in 2015.

Flights to party destinations, including Ibiza, Marbella and Zante experience the most raucous behaviour from excessive drinking. Generally, the larger the group, the greater the chance of antisocial behaviour occurring either prior to take off or during the flight.

Hen and stag parties are the worst offenders, with an average of 65% of incidents this year caused by such groups according to Glasgow airport. The situation intensified during September and October, when travellers took advantage of low-cost flights to let their hair down at end of season parties.

A survey by the union Unite of over 4,000 cabin crew working for British-based airlines in August 2017 found that 87% of respondents reported witnessing drunken passenger behaviour at UK airports or on flights from UK airports.

What are the consequences?

The price of causing disturbances at an airport is not to be laughed at. A fine of up to £5,000 can be exacted for passengers who are drunk on a plane, with a jail sentence of two years for breaking aviation laws. Costs further escalate if a plane has to be diverted because of antisocial comportment, in which case up to £80,000 is demanded to recompense for an unscheduled landing.

The aviation minister Baroness Sugg launched the One Too Many campaign in July, to remind passengers of the consequences of disrupting travel and the zero-tolerance approach operated by airlines. Participating airports include Manchester Airport Group, AGS Airports, Bristol, Birmingham, Newcastle and Gatwick.

Francois Bourienne, chair of the UK Travel Retail Forum said: “while serious disruptive behaviour remains rare, it can be costly and cause delays. Other passengers become upset and a lot of holidays are ruined.”

Minister for crime, safeguarding and vulnerability Victoria Atkins said “most UK air passengers behave responsibly when flying, but any disruptive or drunk behaviour is entirely unacceptable.”

After the three month call for evidence, the Home Office will decide upon a permanent course of action.