Bar operators in
airports are facing turbulent times thanks to passengers drinking to excess
before take-off. Airlines want limits brought in to take care of the issue. On any other
occasion, a cocktail before breakfast would be likely to raise some issues. But
once you’ve made it past airport security, an alcoholic beverage – even at 7 am, doesn’t seem quite so out of place.
There has been a substantial rise in the number of disruptive passenger
incidents in the skies worldwide, causing calls to curb alcohol sales at
airports.
Being
disruptive aboard a flight carries serious consequences, anyone disrupting a
flight risks prosecution for being drunk on board an aircraft, acting in a
troublesome manner or endangering the safety of an aircraft or its passengers
can lead to a five-year or longer prison sentence. With the increasing number of incidents, Airlines
and government officials are for more prosecutions to curb the violent and
drunken behavior by airline passengers “The abusive behavior on an airplane is
totally unacceptable, it upsets everyone else as well as jeopardizing flight
safety.
It’s important that the airports and the
airlines introduce preventative measures to curb excessive drinking, both at
the airports and aboard the aircraft. It
is felt that this action would reduce problems being created, rather than
allowing passengers to drink to excess before and during their flights. Pointing
the finger at one side or the other does little to find a solution, a team
effort is of both ground and airline personnel can provide a powerful form of
persuasion. The International Air
Transport Association (IATA) joined forces with the travel industry to launch a
campaign designed to raise awareness of flying responsibly. The spirits industry’s idea of drinking less but better has good response from
consumers, trading up to more premium brands and embracing the less of higher
quality is better. This message of
moderate consumption needs to travel through to airport and airline industries
as well.
