Last orders: Ryanair boss calls for drinking ban ahead of morning flights
May 6, 2026
With low-cost carrier Ryanair forced to divert an average of nearly one flight per day due to disruptive passenger behaviour, the airline’s CEO, Michael O’Leary says that airports should be banned from serving alcohol to passengers ahead of early morning flights.
Ryanair says alcohol consumption is “a real challenge”
Arguing that people don’t need to be drinking early in the morning, O’Leary told The Times: “I fail to understand why anybody in airport bars is serving people at five or six o’clock in the morning… It’s becoming a real challenge for all airlines.”
While bars and other venues selling alcohol are bound by strict licensing rules on when they can serve alcohol, airside pubs and bars are exempt from these restrictions.
O’Leary argued that airport operators and concessionaires are exploiting this loophole. Suggesting that airports are profiting off serving as much alcohol as they like to passengers, particularly during delays, he said: “They know they’re going to export the problem to the airlines.”
Ryanair introduced an automatic £500 fine for any passenger offloaded due to disruptive, alcohol-related behaviour in June 2025. The airline has already pursued legal action in at least one case, seeking €15,000 in damages from a passenger who disrupted a flight from Dublin to Lanzarote in 2024.
Under UK law, passengers convicted of being drunk and disorderly on an aircraft can be charged up to £5,000 and receive a prison sentence of up to two years. However, if a flight is diverted due to unruly behaviour, passengers can be fined up to £80,000, five years in prison for endangering the safety of an aircraft, and a lifetime flying ban.
Ryanair’s proposed ban is described as “draconian”
O’Leary’s proposal has drawn a mixed response. Shadow Transport Secretary Richard Holden acknowledged that nobody should fly inebriated, but stopped short of backing a ban, noting that not all Ryanair customers would support it.
“It’s a peculiarly British tradition to have a pint at 6 am when you’re waiting for your Ryanair flight”, he told Sky News. “Banning that is not necessarily the right answer. It sounds slightly draconian. It’s more of an attempt to grab headlines rather than deal with a serious problem.”
“It sounds slightly draconian."
— Ridge & Frost (@RidgeandFrost) May 6, 2026
Shadow Transport Secretary @RicHolden reacts to Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary’s calls for passengers to be banned from drinking before early‑morning flights.
He tells @SophyRidgeSky there’s something “peculiarly British” about the tradition. 🍻 pic.twitter.com/GHgd49GSLJ
IATA reports rise in unruly passenger behaviour
According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), incidents of unruly passenger behaviour are on the rise. A report published by IATA in February 2026 found that unruly passenger incidents have almost doubled in recent years.
Incidents rose from one per 835 flights in 2021 to one per 480 flights in 2023. Non-compliance with crew instructions is the most frequently cited offence, followed by verbally abusive behaviour and intoxication.
In addition to supporting airline members with the responsible service of alcohol during flights, IATA is also working with airports, duty-free retailers and other groups to ensure the responsible sales and marketing of alcohol to avoid unruly passenger incidents resulting from intoxication.
Featured image: World Travel & Tourism Council | Wikimedia Commons
