UK: Arrests of drunk airline passengers are sky high amid row over airport boozing

Hundreds of passengers have been arrested on suspicion of being drunk on a plane or at an airport in the last 2 years, figures reveal. At least 273 people were held in 2017 and 2018, police statistics show. The figures come as the govt considers scrapping round-the-clock drinking in airport bars by extending high street licensing laws, which would mean no alcohol before 10am. Under current rules, drink sales beyond security gates at international airports in England and Wales are not regulated by these laws. The Home Office launched the review Nov 1, with a 3-month call for evidence. A spokesman for Airlines UK said: “The problem of disruptive behaviour has got progressively worse over a number of years, despite the best efforts of industry to tackle it." <br/>