Wow!
I've never been on a plane with disruptive passengers (for any reasons) but it must have been pretty scary if he tried to open the door.
I have been boarding a plane when 2 people were refused boarding because they were so drunk they couldn't stand up.

I know that airlines announce that people should not drink duty free they've brought (not bought) onto the plane, but I think the stewards may turn a blind eye to this to avoid confrontation.
But when every other passenger is put in danger, surely the time has come to clamp down.

What I find amazing is that this idiot wasn't arrested.

Surely in this age of technology, it would be easy to ensure that this person (or anyone else who acts in the same stupid way) never set foot on a plane again.

I don't agree with a 'Nanny' state but things are getting out of hand.

First thing I would say is the article is factualy incorrect and to take things with a pinch of salt. The aircrafts operational ceiling is 43,199ft although most airlines SOPs limit this to 41,000ft. It cannot fly at 50,000ft. The aircraft shown in the article is a Boeing 757-200, not a Boeing 767-300. Never let the facts get in the way of a good story! So called journo's who can't even get the basics of an article correct really irritate me. If they can't get those basic facts correct, that aren't exactly difficult to research (a key part of their job!), how can you rely on the accuracy of the rest of the article

Now, back to the story. The passenger was clearly at fault for consuming excessive alcohol and being abusive. His behavior was clearly unacceptable and the cabin crew did what they could but clearly the safety of passengers was under threat so the Captain made the decision to divert. I hope the passenger gets everything he deserves and the book is thrown at him when he gets back on to the UK, ie he's facing a huge fine (and the many £1,000s in costs to divert) and potentially time behind bars. Putting other passengers at risk, and disrupting them and their hard earned holiday plans in this way is totally unacceptable. We all enjoy a drink from time to time but to do it in an atmosphere where alcohol effects you more is very irresponcible. You can't blame cabin crew because I'm sure they'll have been topping their glasses up from their duty free in a manor where it was concealed. They clearly disregarded the rules and nobody forced it down his kneck. People like that don't deserve to hold passports.

Darren

PS it's impossable to open the door once airbourne and presurised, but it must have been scary all the same. Not a flight I'd like to have been on.

Hopefully he will now be on a flightban black list!

Who's fault is it?
The airline, the crew, the individual?

IMO: All of them.

There is no place for alcohol in airports, there is no place for drinking alcohol at altitude and there is no reason for the cabin crew to sell it.
All passengers should be in a fit state to respond should an emergency arise, drinking even small amounts of alcohol will impair your ability to react because the effects of alcohol at altitude is doubled.

Sanji

I know , I can't understand folk drinking before they get on a plane, what is that about?
I want to have my wits about me , especially if something was to happen.

I can see the argument with the airport and airline making alcohol available, but it's the individual who makes the decision whether to drink or not. For me, the buck stops there. It's up to the individual to be responcible for their own actions. We don't know the facts about the flight, but I bet the cabin crew didn't serve the people (person) involved drinks, or if they did, limited amounts since they were drinking duty free. If cabin crew suspects a passenger is intoxicated, they won't serve them. Even today, this idiot is casuing misery to other holiday makers because of the knock-on delays caused by the diversion. I hope he ends up behind bars. He'll certainly be banned from travelling with TOM / FCA in the future.

Darren

Why should a tiny minority spoil it for everybody else if the suggestion of banning alcohol in airports/planes is put in practice?

Address the ones that cause the problem and ban them from flying in the future from any airline. That should stop them and makes others think before they hit the bottle.

Mark

Of course if ALL airlines then refuse them passage back to the UK then it would really get the message home.

fwh

Why should a tiny minority spoil it for everybody else if the suggestion of banning alcohol in airports/planes is put in practice?

Because alcohol is a drug which affects the brain and what is the point of going through the safety procedures in the event of an emergency, when half the passengers on the plane can be/are tanked up.?

It's a bit hypocritical to have a zero policy against disruptive behaviour that puts other passengers at risk, and at the same time sell something which 9 times out of 10, is responsible for causing the disruptive behaviour.

It's a very fine line which separates the ones who are intoxicated, and the ones who are intoxicated and do what this idiot did.
I don't have any sympathy for him, but as the flight progressed, the effects of alcohol will push some over the fine line, and they neither know what they're doing or have the ability to recognise that they've had enough.

If it wasn't available, then the problem is no longer there, but I think it's more to do with raking in the revenue than applying a blanket ban on alcohol.
Yes, it means the sensible ones who like a single glass of wine with their airline meal (if that's what you can call them) will not be able to, but that's the way the cookie crumbles, the safety of the majority should always come first.

Do I have a case against the airline for failing to take all reasonable measures to safeguard my life, when they sell/encourage the person sat next to me to get tanked up and exhibit disruptive behaviour.?
In a nutshell.
You can't have a zero tolerance policy against disruptive behaviour and at the same time be able to sell a drug that is responsible for the behaviour.
You can't go through the motions of a safety procedure, when half of the passengers can be/are already under the influence.
You shouldn't be able to sell alcohol to anybody before they board a plane, medical science has proven that a couple of drinks at sea level, become 4 drinks at altitude in a pressurised cabin, due to a decline in the body's ability to absorb oxygen.
Alcohol is already banned on some forms of transport and it's ludicrous to sell it 35,000 feet up in the air in a pressurised aluminium tube.

Sanji

Edit, Typo error

I totally agree with Sanjis post.
When I was at Newcastle airport a couple of weeks ago at 6am I could not believe how many folks were drinking pints of beer!
Lets hope the drunken passenger gets lost in the Bermuda Triangle.

Of course, any amount of alcohol does influence your reaction, yet we allow an adult to drive a car legally having had the equavalent of 1 pint of alchol and at the same time wanting to take away that right when up in the air and not being in control of the method of travel. That doesn't make sense to me.

There are only a few of these incidents per year. Taking into account the number of flights per year it is - in my opinion - much better to ban these people that cause trouble any future flights ala Barcardi style - any place, anywhere, anytime!

Mark

Although i agree with most points raised here why should one individual spoil it for the rest of us if the guy didn't know when to stop it his own fault and should accept the consequences, but as for saying you need to have your senses in case of an emergency well maybe one or two drinks might be too much for you so yeah dont drink plus you may be needed to fly the plane (sorry for the sarcasm) and plus if its a major emergency chances are your gonna wish you'd had one for the road or sky as it where!!!!

This is just my opinion and is not meant to offend anyone although people who dont like to drink and think there way of thinking should be made law make me mad!!!! Should people not be allowed to enjoy themselves whilst on holiday.

Andy

When I was at Newcastle airport a couple of weeks ago at 6am I could not believe how many folks were drinking pints of beer!

A
All the best to them I say. As soon as I arrive at the airport time means nothing (apart from checking flight time). I hope they were drinking sensibly though. I'd hate the thought of an abusive passenger on my flight but I don't see what's wrong in anybody enjoying a drink at the airport to kick start their holiday. I'll probably be at the bar in Bristol airport at 8am on the day of our departure in a fortnight's time. It's nice to relax, destress and have a chat over a drink. As has been stated previously, it's the minority that cause the trouble and why should they spoil it for the majority of sensible drinkers?

I agree with you to a certain extent Sanji, but I think it should be left up the the individual to choose. There isn't much we can do these days without governmental intervention, I hope this won't become another. I know my limits and stick to them. Why should a minority of selfish idiots spoil things for the majority? I think most people look forward to their first gin or whiskey on the flight to start their holiday. The rules on alcohol consumption are made quite clear. First Choice (and Thomsonfly) are likely to black list the passenger from future travel with them and I agree, blacklisting passengers from travel for a period of time, ie revoking their passport like what happens with football hooligans would be a good scheme and act as deterant. Air rage is on the increase, but it's still a small issue in the overall scheme of things so lets not spoil air travel for those that enjoy it.

Darren

I see nothing wrong in having a good drink when you are on holiday but having an alcoholic drink at 6 am will go straight to your head as its unlikely people will have had a large amount to eat at that time.
My friend is a nervous flyer and drinks as soon as she gets to the airport,no matter what time it is.I prefer to wait until I am at my destination.
I dont think anywhere in our towns and cities sell alcohol at 6am!

Unless you are at the wheel so to speak, you can drink on every other mode of transport, whether you are on a boat, in a car or on a train. Any of these modes of transport could and are probably statistically more likely to have an emergency than an aircraft therefore to suggest banning passengers from drinking is IMO O.T.T.

Could you imagine going on a cruise for a month and not being alowed to have a drink in case the liner starts to capsize!!!

People need to take responsibility for their own actions, most people know if they are light weights or not and should ensure they stay in control of themselves.

Mark

Jay Trip - there are loads of pubs in this country that are now licensed to sell alcohol for 24 hours. A few years back I was on crutches coming back from Majorca, when a drunk fell into me at check in. Luckily I was not hurt, but this is how he arrived at the airport. Security was called and he was not allowed to fly. However he had not been drinking in the airport terminal itself. A lot is said in this country about freedom of choice, and I don't see why one or two individuals should be allowed to spoil things for others. I'm sure that the cabin crew would soon have something to say if someone asked for an excessive amount of drinks on a flight. It doesn't matter what time my flight is - I arrive at the airport in plenty of time to have a decent meal and a couple of drinks. This is the start of my holiday. I would never drink enough to become a danger to myself or anyone else.

I never have a drink before I fly and usually only have one with my meals on flights but the friend that I sometimes travel with will often have one on the airport and more on the flight, though I have never known her to be drunk or even appear slightly tipsy. I certainly couldn't drink at 6am but I know lots of people can enjoy a drink at any time, if they know their limits then I can't see a problem. When I first came to Germany to live I was amazed that the factories had beer machines where we would have had tea/coffee machines and some of the workers used to drink beer with their breakfast, and most of them seemed to be able to do a days work without problems (though I believe this is banned now).
It's the people that get on to the plane already having had more than enough that are the problem and one would hope the cabin staff would not serve them more drinks. In this case apparently the man was drinking the liquor he had bought in duty free, which I was always led to believe you couldn't drink on the plane, so I think in this case the cabin staff are partly to blame for allowing this.

Unless you are at the wheel so to speak, you can drink on every other mode of transport, whether you are on a boat, in a car or on a train.

No you can't, passengers are now banned from having open containers of alcohol on the Underground, London buses, Docklands Light Railway and trams, and Eurostar limit the amount of alcohol that you can carry...I think it's no more than 4 cans/bottles of beer or a bottle of wine and if it seems that you've been drinking before the journey, they are within their rights to forbid any alcohol.
All bus companies have Conditions of Carriage, which prohibit drinking of alcohol on board. It's also banned by Manchester Metro-link byelaws.

I think it's rather silly to compare a train or a cruise liner with a plane....if someone wants to go ballistic through the effects of alcohol and jump overboard, fine, at least I have the choice to get out of their way or give them a helping hand, the same if someone wants to open the door on a high speed train, fine, go do it and then I'll think about pulling the emergency cord to bring us all to a halt.

People need to take responsibility for their own actions

You don't get it do you.? they are unable to take responsibility because unlike travel at sea level, once flying at altitude in a pressurised cabin, where the air is dry and the oxygen levels low, a state of mild hypoxia occurs, and one of the symptoms make a person appear/act intoxicated, it's made worse by the effects of alcohol and can lead to erratic behaviour and loss of impulse control.
A UK judge while sentencing a woman guilty of "air-rage" on a Virgin Atlantic flight, actually critised the airline for making alcohol available and some "air-rage" incidents are a result of the person suffering from hypoxia, made worse by alcohol.

They are labelled and sentenced as crimminals, when the environment which they find themselves in, prevents them from having control over their actions.
So, nobody who consumes any alcohol can say 100% that they have full control in the air...because you are not in control of the quality of the air that you breathe....which can lead to mild hypoxia.

Of course the airlines won't admit that the quality of air inside the cabin can lead to mild hypoxia because it will cost money to improve the air quality, and neither will they admit that alcohol has a detrimental effect on passengers because that will lose them money, if they stopped selling it.

Sanji
Edit: Typo error