Britain considers airport bar ban to curb air rage

Travellers to the UK may soon be banned from drinking at the airport before a flight. Photo / Getty Images

Holidaymakers could soon be banned from having a pre-flight tipple at the airport in a bid to crack down on air rage.

A House of Lords review has called for an end to 24-hour drinking before flying after a 340 per cent rise in the number of drunken incidents on flights.

The proposal, which comes after 442 flyers were arrested for drunken behaviour in the last two years, would see alcohol serving hours cut at all airports by the end of the year.

As it stands, the Licensing Act 2003 does not apply once travellers make it through customs, meaning they can enjoy a pint at any time. The proposals would prohibit alcohol sales outside the permitted hours.

Budget airline Jet2 told the review, launched by aviation minister Lord Ahmad, that it saw 536 disruptive incidents last summer alone, with over half of those due to alcohol.

The proposals would ban airside pubs from serving drink until they reapply for a licence.

However a spokesman for Wetherspoon, which runs a number of pubs at airports, said: "Our staff understand fully their responsibility not to serve customers if they are drunk."