Ireland: Ban on alcohol ‘on table’ as aviation sector targets unruly passengers

A ban on serving alcohol on flights could be considered as a means to reduce the number of incidents of disruptive passenger behaviour, an Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) official has said. The safety of a European flight is compromised by unruly or disruptive passengers every three hours and an escalation of such incidents in recent years has promoted the Irish aviation sector to work together to curb bad behaviour in the air. At least once a month an in-flight situation reaches a point that sees a plane having to make an emergency landing. Unruly behaviour can include intoxication, aggressive or inappropriate behaviour as well as not following the commands of flight crew, who are there to protect passenger safety. Paul Brandon, the IAA’s head of corporate affairs, said it is accepted that alcohol was a contributory factor in a large number of these incidents, but the initial focus of the ‘Not On My Flight’ campaign would be to raise awareness of the actions that will be taken against disruptive passengers. When asked if aviation authorities would consider banning alcohol on flights, Brandon said “we will see if there is a need for further action. “It is absolutely on the table, but our preference is to focus on the awareness of the risk if they disrupt a flight,” he said. Ryanair, Aer Lingus, all the main airports, the Commission for Aviation Regulation and other airlines have signed a joint declaration pledging to work to prevent and minimise disruptive incidents on flights.<br/>