Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
13 April 2017 10:24
A Lords committee has called for airport drinking curbs
Restrictions should be put in place to curb the drinking of alcohol before early-morning flights, a House of Lords committee has suggested.
The Select Committee on the Licensing Act 2003 has recommended that bars and pubs in airport departure lounges should no longer be exempt from the Act.
Members of the committee said the change should be introduced by the Government before 2017 is over.
It commented : "No-one travelling on an international flight can fail to notice that, once they have gone through customs, control of the sale of alcohol seems to be relaxed, and the permitted hours even more so.
"The incidents occurring on flights are notorious, sometimes requiring flights to be diverted, and more often than not, such incidents are the consequence of alcohol consumed airside before the flight."
Risks of heavy drinking
Heavy drinking before, during and after flights can lead to mishaps and painful accidents.
While travel insurance can cover people against medical expenses while they're abroad, it might not apply to incidents caused by over-consumption of alcohol.
Growing number of incidents
Offering evidence to the Lords committee, Jet2 said its staff had to deal with 536 disruptive incidents in the summer of last year, and that more than half were fuelled by alcohol.
Between 2014 and 2015, the Civil Aviation Authority also saw a 36% rise in disruptive passenger incidents in the UK. And, added to this, data from Alcohol Concern has suggested that close to one in five holidaymakers drink before a flight.
Industry view
Brigid Simmonds, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association, said: "The industry works in partnership with the police and airport authorities to tackle any problems at airside venues.
"We would be happy to review these arrangements and extend them where necessary, but the current penalties for passengers who cause flight disruption are rightly severe."
18 August 2017
Relatives of older people receiving NHS care have raised concerns over some of the treatment.
[more...]
17 August 2017
Older people are being "let down" when it comes to access to dental care, experts have warned.
16 August 2017
A charity has called for women who have been treated for breast cancer to be given better support once treatment ends.
15 August 2017
More people are being arrested over drunken behaviour on board flights and at airports, according to latest statistics.
12 August 2017
Labour has criticised the way in which cancer patients and their families have been treated under the Conservative Government.
11 August 2017
The precious metal, gold, is a familiar sight in jewellery adorning the body but it could also play a role in treating cancers that grow inside the body.
10 August 2017
Nashville is the capital of country and has for years attracted music-loving holidaymakers to its vibrant bars and venues.
09 August 2017
We've all seen self-driving cars in the news in recent years but would you step on board a passenger plane that didn't have a pilot?
08 August 2017
Marine experts have disagreed over the identity of the creatures that attacked the feet of a teenager who was relaxing in the sea in Australia.
05 August 2017
Medical bills which run into six-figure territory are "not uncommon" for British holidaymakers who end up needing emergency medical treatment abroad, travel insurers say.
04 August 2017
British Airways mixed fleet cabin crew will strike for a further two weeks this month, including the August bank holiday, in a long-running pay dispute.
03 August 2017
New analysis suggests that almost all men over 60 and women over 75 are eligible for the cholesterol-lowing drugs, statins.