Wetherspoon boss hits back at Ryanair's call for drinks limits at airport pubs amid rise in 'aggressive passengers'

28 August 2024, 17:34 | Updated: 28 August 2024, 17:48

The founder of JD Wetherspoon pub chain has hit out at calls from Ryanair to limit passengers to a maximum of two drinks at airports, after the airline's chief executive said more people were acting aggressively on flights.

Sir Tim Martin insisted that his company had received "no complaints" in recent years from airports or airlines about drunken passengers.

JD Wetherspoon has pubs in several British airports, including Gatwick, Heathrow and Stansted.

But Ryanair, Europe's largest airline, reported a significant increase in drink- and drug-fuelled disruptive behaviour, which its boss Michael O'Leary said was now the primary challenge faced by cabin crews.

Mr O'Leary suggested that passengers should be limited to two drinks per journey to help curb what he called an increase in anti-social behaviour and violent incidents.

But Sir Tim hit back, saying: "We have had no complaints about our pubs from the airport authorities or airlines, that I'm aware of, in recent years.

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"Some years ago Wetherspoon stopped selling 'shooters' at airports, as well as 'double-up' offers, which some airlines, including Ryanair, do still offer," he told MailOnline.

"Our own understanding was that most problems then arose from incoming flights, possibly indicating less controls abroad."

Sir Tim said that over the past four weeks just a third of sales at the busiest airport location came from alcoholic drinks. Food accounted for some 40% of receipts, he added, with soft drinks around 20% and coffee about 7%.

He added: "Our pubs, in common with other airport venues, cooperate with airport initiatives such as 'One Too Many' which warn passengers of the consequences of drinking too much before boarding their flight, including heavy fines and not being allowed to travel.

"Mr O'Leary refers to genuine problems and flight safety is of course paramount, but Wetherspoon airport pubs provide supervised consumption in a controlled environment, with attractive non-alcoholic options and a wide food menu.

"There is no perfect solution, but in working with airports and airlines and the licensing authorities, Wetherspoon believes it has struck a reasonable balance for outbound flights."

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph earlier, Mr O'Leary claimed that violent outbursts, often fuelled by alcohol and other substances, are now a weekly occurrence.

"We're not against people enjoying a drink, but just as we don't allow drink-driving, we shouldn't be allowing intoxicated passengers onto aircraft at 33,000 feet," he said, noting that it’s challenging for airlines to identify intoxicated passengers at the gate, particularly when they are boarding as part of a group.

"As long as someone can stand and shuffle through, they usually get on board. But once the plane is in the air, that's when we see the problematic behaviour," he added.

Mr O'Leary also mentioned that flight crews and other passengers are increasingly becoming targets of this behaviour, with longer delays at airports contributing to the problem by allowing more time for drinking.

"In the past, passengers who drank too much would eventually pass out. But now, they're combining alcohol with tablets and powders, leading to more aggressive and difficult-to-manage behaviour," he said.

To address the issue, O'Leary revealed that Ryanair staff conduct bag searches before allowing passengers to board flights to destinations known for heavy partying, such as Ibiza and certain Greek islands, which are among the most affected.