Portugal Colonial - Ryanair's O'Leary urges pre-flight morning booze ban

In an interview with The Times newspaper published Wednesday, the boss of the Irish no-frills carrier said the problem was becoming worse.

Ryanair, which flies mainly across Europe, was having to divert almost one aircraft a day because of boozy behaviour by passengers, he pointed out.

"It's becoming a real challenge for all airlines," O'Leary said.

"I fail to understand why anybody... is serving people at five or six o’clock in the morning," he told the paper.

O'Leary said alcohol sale-licence exemptions for airport outlets contributed to the situation.

"There should be no alcohol served at airports outside [pub] licensing hours," he said, while maintaining there should be a limit of two drinks per person across other times, which could be controlled using boarding passes.

Ryanair had yet to respond to an AFP request confirming the time at which the airline starts selling alcohol aboard its flights.

"We are reasonably responsible but the ones who are not responsible, the ones who are profiteering off it, are the airports," he told the daily.

Ryanair last year announced it would fine a passenger 500 euros for unruly behaviour resulting in their removal from an aircraft.

O'Leary told The Times that a volatile mix of alcohol and "people shoving powder (drugs) up their nose" was also problematic.

"And the women are as bad offenders as the men in this," he added.

A.P.Maia--PC