There has been a marked increase this year in the number of alcohol-related incidents on aircraft heading from the UK to holiday, stag and hen night hotspots, including Majorca. British MPs are have therefore been calling for action to be taken to crack down on alcohol-fuelled anti-social behaviour on planes, some of which have had to be diverted because of the behaviour of rowdy passengers.
Jet2 has today announced that, from Monday, it is going to ban the sale of alcohol on flights to certain destinations before 8am in a bid to crack down on booze-related incidents.
Lord Ahmad, the new aviation minister, last week said he would examine the way alcohol is sold at airports, following a spate of incidents on planes involving drunk passengers. He also pledged to ensure the way in which unruly travellers are stopped from going through airport departure gates is "fit for purpose".
Recent police statistics show hundreds of passengers were arrested on suspicion of being drunk on a plane or at an airport in the last two years. Figures obtained following freedom of information requests showed at least 442 people were held between March 2014 and March 2016.
Jet2 has become the first airline in Europe to respond with proactive preventive action, and passengers flying to the likes of Ibiza, Majorca and Amsterdam could all be affected. The move, due to be introduced next week, will be in effect across all the companies bases, including Birmingham, Majorca, Amsterdam and Ibiza. Jet2.com is also calling for airports and retailers to follow its lead to "trade responsibly" and similarly ban alcohol sales before 8am.
The airline also wants industry partners to support their call for fully sealed bags for alcohol purchased in airports to further stop the consumption of personal alcohol before and during flights.
Phil Ward, managing director of Jet2.com says: "We have decided to follow up very quickly on comments made last week, by taking positive action to allow the millions of customers and families who fly with us to travel with confidence and have a great experience with Jet2.com. We believe that stopping sales of alcohol before 8am on our morning flights is an effective way to ensure everyone has an enjoyable and comfortable journey. We understand that we’re the first of the European airlines to take this bold step and call upon industry partners in airports to also trade responsibly."
The announcement further supports the airlines’ ‘Onboard Together’ campaign which aims to reduce incidences of disruptive behaviour on its flights.