Budget airline Jet2.com bans booze on early morning flights to stop passengers getting rowdy
A BUDGET airline has banned booze sales on its early morning flights to tackle bad behaviour by passengers.
Jet2.com announced it would not be serving alcohol before 8am as part of its commitment to eradicate disruption and abusive behaviour on-board.
The company has been running a high-profile campaign called Onboard Together aimed at reducing disruptive behaviour on its flights.
The drive has seen more than 500 passengers refused travel – with over 50 of these given lifetime bans since its launch in 2015.
The latest move takes their campaign a step further.
And the carrier urged others to follow its lead after becoming the first airline in Europe to make such a move.
Managing director Phil Ward said: “We have decided to follow up very quickly on my 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 airline is also leading calls for compulsory sealed bags for alcohol purchased in airports to stop the illegal consumption of personal alcohol before and during flights.
Police figures show hundreds of passengers have been arrested on suspicion of being drunk on a plane or at an airport in the last two years.
At least 442 people were held between March 2014 and March 2016.
Last week, Jet2.com passenger Joshua Strickland, 21, of Tadcaster, North Yorkshire, was slapped with a hefty bill of £12,000 and a lifetime ban after his “abusive and aggressive” behaviour led to a plane being diverted to Manchester.
Strickland will be sentenced at Manchester crown court on August 25.
Jet2.com’s ban – set to start on Monday – follows a pledge from the Government’s aviation minister Lord Ahmad last week to see what more could be done to make air travel “safe and secure”.
He said: “I don't think we want to kill merriment altogether.
“But I think it's important that passengers who board planes are also responsible and have a responsibility to other passengers – and that certainly should be the factor which we bear in mind.
“In terms of specific regulations of timings of outlets (which sell alcohol) and how they operate, clearly I want to have a look at that.”
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