Sir Tim Martin, the head of Wetherspoons, has come out in defence of pre-flight drinking, stating that the pub chain removed two-for-one alcohol deals and “shooters” from their airport menus “years ago”. This statement comes in response to Ryanair’s group chief executive, Michael O’Leary, who recently called for a two-drink per passenger limit at airport bars to curb drunken disorder on flights.
Sir Tim emphasised that Wetherspoons’ airport pubs no longer serve shots such as Jägerbombs and have also eliminated “double-up” offers. He pointed out that alcoholic drinks accounted for just a third of sales at these sites over the past four weeks, with coffee and soft drinks making up a significant portion of the remaining sales.
Interestingly, coffee volumes, which include free refills, approximately match lager volumes at Wetherspoons’ airport pubs. This suggests that passengers are just as likely to opt for a caffeine boost as they are for an alcoholic beverage before their flight.
Despite Ryanair’s concerns about drunken behaviour on flights, Sir Tim stated that Wetherspoons has received no complaints from airport authorities or airlines in recent years. He also noted that all Wetherspoons premises are covered by CCTV, allowing for easy identification of problem drinkers.
The debate surrounding pre-flight drinking has sparked discussions within the industry, with UKHospitality, representing pubs, bars, and restaurants, stating that airport outlets provide robust staff training and many already limit alcohol servings.
As the summer travel season reaches its peak, the issue of in-flight rowdiness and the role of airport bars in contributing to these incidents remains a topic of contention between industry leaders like Ryanair and Wetherspoons.
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