Cornflakes and Carling at the airport ??

For many of us it’s all part of the holiday tradition to have a drink to get your holiday started at the airport. Even if you have an 8am flight it doesn’t seem to matter as soon as you walk in that airport everyone’s clinking glasses and shouting Cheers.

This could all be about to change though as the new aviation minister, Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, believes that pre-flight drinking has become a significant problem and now wants to “have a look at” the situation.

Ahmad assures the public that he is not looking to “kill merriment” completely, so much as prevent scenes such as the one that unfolded on a Ryanair flight to Germany in February, on which six men were arrested for brawling on their way to a stag party.

The Minister has ordered a study of how alcohol is sold in airports with an estimated 50 flights a day being affected by alcohol – fuelled air rage.

Aviation law forbids anyone being drunk on an aircraft, and airlines have a right to refuse to carry passengers that they consider to be a potential risk to the safety of the aircraft., but regulations are widely flouted. While airlines can try to regulate the amount of alcohol served in flight, they cannot control what happens before boarding. Some passengers very obviously and usually noisily “pre-load” in airport bars

So what would be the plan to try and calm passengers down and be a bit more civilised at airports.

Well currently UK airports don’t have any restrictions on when they can serve alcohol and can offer you a nice cold lager along with your full English. Maybe if the drinks were available at normal pub opening times and possibly restricted to a limit per passenger then it would reduce any disruptions in the air.

Would they even go as far as completely banning alcohol from being sold in flight – I doubt it as the revenue made would probably be far too important to them to even consider this.

I must admit I think some people do go a bit mad at the airport and myself personally would much prefer a nice smoked salmon bagel and cappuccino rather than a bacon butty and a pint of Carling !!!.

Everyone is different though I suppose and there are some flyers who do genuinely like to have a tipple to calm there nerves before flying if they are nervous travelers.

It seems that JET2 are going to be at the forefront of it all though by being the first airline to ban early morning alcohol on all of its flights before 8am. It is the first European carrier to introduce such sanctions – and is now calling on other airlines and airports to follow suit.

I think it should be something that is definitely monitored. At the end of the day nobody wants to be a kill joy and take away the excitement of the holiday but it is very important to be mindful of other passengers and drink responsibly.

I traveled back with my two young boys on a Ryanair flight a few years ago from Ibiza after a lovely relaxing family holiday. I would say that 50% of people on board that flight were drunk or worse and it can be a bit much when you’re trying to protect the ears of little children.

I would recommend to have a glass to get in the mood maybe and then leave the rest until your firmly propped up a your hotel bar and then the holiday can begin.