Ryanair demands two drink limit at EU airports to stop bad behaviour on flights

Ryanair is demanding that passengers be stopped from drinking too much before boarding flights.

The budget airline believes it would help with the growing problem of disruptive behaviour onboard its flights.

“It is time that EU authorities take action to limit the sale of alcohol at airports,” the Irish airline said in a statement.

"We fail to understand why passengers at airports are not limited to two alcoholic drinks (using their boarding pass in exactly the same way they limit duty-free sales), as this would result in safer and better passenger behaviour on board aircraft, and a safer travel experience for passengers and crews all over Europe.”

The demand comes as Ryanair is suing a passenger for €15,000 after their behaviour caused a flight to be diverted in April 2024.

The budget airline alleges that this passenger's “inexcusable behaviour” on a flight from Dublin to Lanzarote was so disruptive that it forced the aircraft to divert to Porto, Portugal for safety - where they had to pay for crew members and over 160 other passengers to stay overnight.

Ryanair pointed out that it and other airlines already limit alcohol sales in-flight - but said that passengers can still consume excess alcohol at airports before boarding, particularly during flight delays, without similar restrictions.

Aviation agencies have long expressed concern with disruptive, in-flight incidents - particularly those that result in violence against others on board, verbal abuse, harassment or other health hazards like smoking.

Ryanair has released details of the costs incurred after a disruptive passenger caused a flight to be diverted in April 2024.

More than 160 passengers and six crew were forced to stay overnight at Porto airport before flying