Boozy holidaymaker warning as police start breathalyzing at UK airport
Holidaymakers have been warned not to indulge too much on the flight home as police ramp up breathalyser action at one UK airport.
Officers stopped drivers leaving Teesside Airport on Monday (July 28) morning in 'Operation Take Off', which targeted passengers who had flown into the North East airport and had struggled to control their boozing at 30,000 feet.
The police stopped and breathalysed motorists driving home after landing. Happily, the motorists leaving Teesside proved to be law‑abiding.
Just over 100 people were breathalysed at the airport, with only one found to have alcohol in their breath. It was but below the legal limit, police said. They were given a warning after admitting to having one glass of wine on their plane.
The topic of drinking on planes and pre‑flight in airport bars has become an increasingly hot one in recent months.
Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary recently blamed most of the air rage incidents in Europe on overconsumption and suggested a two‑drink limit at airport bars. Since his intervention, there have been a string of embarrassing incidents involving alcohol on planes, including inebriated passengers, crewmembers, and even pilots getting swept up in the chaos.
A new survey by Global Rescue found that some travellers support limits on alcohol, with about one in five passengers saying that airlines shouldn't serve more than one drink every 30 minutes, while 17 % favoured a limit of one an hour. However, a majority argued that serving alcohol should be left to the discretion of the crewmember or bartender.
As much as flight attendants probably don't enjoy dealing with drunk and unruly passengers, there is a good reason why they may be inclined to keep serving.
Alcohol is by far the biggest source of onboard revenue, meaning that cutting off passengers dents the profits of airlines, while also potentially reducing the amount of commission flight attendants receive.
While passengers may be seasoned drinkers when on solid ground, things can be a little different when up in the air.
"Unfortunately, sometimes the effects of alcohol don't show until the plane is in the air or the passenger has their next drink," Beth Blair, a former flight attendant, told USA Today.
She recalled one incident when a passenger enjoyed a single bloody Mary before heading up the aisles and knocking on the flight deck, demanding to speak to the pilot. "The FAA and FBI met our flight. There were severe consequences," Beth added.
Bob Bacheler, managing director of Flying Angels, a medical transportation service, said that most of the incidents he had dealt with involved alcohol. "It's usually a combination of alcohol and sedatives. I can't stress how dangerous the combination of sedatives, alcohol and decreased cabin pressure is," Bob warned.
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