Should alcohol be banned on flights? Brawl on Ryanair plane prompts some to call for booze ban at 38,000ft. But frequent fliers and cabin crew don’t agree. What do YOU think?

Shocking footage of a drunken brawl between three passengers aboard a Ryanair flight from Edinburgh to Tenerife has prompted some MailOnline commenters to call for the banning of alcohol on planes.

The video depicted two men fighting and spitting at each other. Passengers said they endured hours of abuse on the flight to the Spanish Island, in a fracas that seemed to have started with the two men – said to be brothers – arguing in the aisle.

Things turned violent after other passengers became involved. Footage showed a third man being yelled at before a woman launched an attack on another passenger.

Passenger Hannah MacDonald, who filmed the fight, said the two brothers and one of their girlfriends had been drinking heavily.

The footage has sparked controversy among MailOnline readers. ‘Si from the lakes’ said: ‘Time to ban alcohol in airports.’

‘Pingu21’ agreed: ‘There needs to be a breathalyser at the boarding gate with a maximum level of blood alcohol level. Too many people head to the bar as soon as they reach the airport and knock back pints.’

‘Oldblueboy2’ felt the answer was simpler: ‘Don’t sell alcohol at airports or on flights.’

Not all commenters were keen on an alcohol ban, however. ‘Kim Rong Un’ responded: ‘Of course, punish the millions who can control themselves because a handful of fools who can’t.’

‘Yorkypud’ agreed that alcohol shouldn’t be banned: ‘I think just permanently ban idiots like this from ever flying again. It’s not fair on those who like to sensibly have one drink to relax as part of their holiday before getting on a flight.’

MailOnline reached out to experts in the travel industry for comment on banning alcohol on flights. Most were in agreement that it wasn’t a viable solution.  

Gilbert Ott, frequent flier and founder of travel site godsavethepoints.com, said: ‘Bans only encourage increasingly unscrutinised behaviour, such as sneaking drinks in lavatories or in non-obvious cups. This would only make it harder for cabin crew and authorities to monitor drinking.’

He called for stricter enforcement: ‘Current slaps on the wrist for disruptive offenders are pathetic. Drinks should flow as freely as ever but offenders should receive stiffer punishment.’

Marika Mikusova, author of Diary of a Flight Attendant, agrees that an alcohol ban would result in covert drinking: ‘If alcohol was banned on flights, some eager people would be forced to buy alcohol in duty-free and then secretly drink it on board.’

 

However, she does acknowledge drinking on flights can prove problematic, resulting in ‘aggressive passengers’ or people inadvisably combining drinks with their medication and then requiring medical attention.

For a flight attendant, she says a ban would have one major benefit: ‘The less of anything we serve, the more free time we have to just do nothing.’

Offering his thoughts, Rob Burgess, editor of frequent flyer website headforpoints.com, said: ‘There are already plenty of rules and laws around drunkenness in the air including denying boarding to anyone appearing intoxicated while boarding a plane. 

‘Some airlines also take steps to mitigate problems occurring such as not serving alcohol on some routes, such as “stag-do” routes.

‘Dry airlines do exist and by default are not that popular with UK flyers. Not serving alcohol would significantly impact the meal service in premium cabins particularly, making it a less premium experience for those who enjoy a drink or two with their meal. It would also encourage more terminal drinking and the related consequences.’

Jay Robert, a flight attendant who runs the popular Fly Guy’s Cabin Crew Lounge network, believes this ‘pre-flight drinking’ is the problem, not alcohol on flights. He said: ‘Cabin crew are trained on how to properly serve alcohol and we know if we don’t follow the procedures, we have to deal with the situation.

‘I personally never had a massive issue with intoxicated passengers because we follow the procedures the airline set… [the] issue I think is passengers getting p****d in the airport bars where the servers and bartenders care more about sales than the proper service of alcohol because they know the passengers will stumble off and away.

‘I think having a drink above the clouds is one of the last remaining joys from the golden age of flight, and I don’t think the majority should be punished because of a few that can’t drink responsibly when they fly.

‘But airlines and airports need to make adjustments to the current drink-all-you-want-before-you-fly culture.’

A-list etiquette expert William Hanson agrees restriction, rather than a blanket ban, is required, but thinks it should extend to mid-flight. He said: ‘Drinking should certainly be reduced on flights, as alcohol seems to have a different affect on people when at altitude.

‘Two drinks should be more than enough and perhaps one more closer to landing for long-haul flying. Not everything in life has to be an excuse for a p**s up!’

Nicky Kelvin, Editor at Large at The Points Guy, agreed: ‘Rather than an outright ban, airlines and regulators could work together to build an agreed framework to tackle these issues and agree on a standardised approach.’ 

Diane Gottsman, National Etiquette Expert at the Protocol School of Texas doesn’t believe enforced restrictions are necessary. She said: ‘I think it’s the responsibility of the passenger to use good judgment and monitor their intake.’

And excessive drinking is not limited to in-flight occurrences, she argued: ‘It happens on flights, it happens at parties, it happens in bars, so banning alcohol is not the answer.’

Travel tour operator Rob Burley expressed concern an alcohol ban would affect business. 

He said: ‘Many clients expect access to drinks as part of the in-flight service we promote. Removing that would take away from the trip experience we aim to provide.’

One travel-industry respondent was strongly in favour of a ban, however.

Founder of TravelSpain24 Timon Van Basten believes that drunken incidences on planes are increasing at an ‘alarming rate’.

He said: ‘Given the escalating situation, the once extreme measure of banning alcohol now seems a necessary step to ensure safety.

‘Partial measures and reactive policies have proven inadequate in curbing the problem. Simply cutting off disruptive drinkers does nothing for passengers already intoxicated before take-off. 

‘Relying on the crew to identify impairment is an unfair burden that delays response times. Technology like breathalysers is still unreliable for mass screening and fails to account for deceptive consumption.

‘Some argue a ban infringes on personal freedom or hurts airline profits. However, the first responsibility is to protect flyers and crew. 

‘With alcohol a primary factor in many disturbances ranging from verbal abuse to physical violence, its removal is prudent for de-escalating high-risk situations in real-time. And with most incidents fueled by irresponsible overindulgence rather than casual drinking, the economic impact may be overstated.’