Airports have reaffirmed their commitment to reducing disruptive passenger behaviour as a result of alcohol-related incidents.
Two years ago an industry Code of Practice was created to reduce the number of disruptive passenger incidents, particularly those caused by excessive alcohol consumption. On Friday 1 February, airports reiterated their support for the initiative and outlined the actions they have taken collectively and individually to bring down the number of alcohol-related incidents down.
These included building on previous prevention measures in a number of ways such as: joining with industry partners in the One Too Many campaign, to educate passengers on the risks of disruptive behaviour; internal reporting systems for disruptive behaviour/ banning the sale of promotional measures such as a ‘double-pint’; and singing up to Best Bar None or similar accreditation schemes.
“While only a proportion of disruptive behaviour incidents are due to excessive alcohol consumption, it is clear that efforts by the industry to tackle those passengers that drink alcohol to excess, such as the measures introduced by airports and the One Too Many campaign, are having a positive impact,” said Karen Dee, chief executive of the Airport Operators Association (AOA).
Working alongside its members, the AOA has identified pinch-point areas in the airport where additional measures can be developed beyond the existing Code of Practice. These include: banning the sale of shots in airport bars, as well as the sale of miniature bottles of spirit in duty-free outlets and introducing a yellow-card scheme for warning passengers who are observed to be borderline or too boisterous. The latter would usually be facilitated in close cooperation with the local police force.
Speaking on 1 February, Dee continued: :The industry as a whole is taking disruptive passengers very seriously. Today we underline the airports’ commitment to taking the necessary steps to ensure that the majority of well-behaving passengers can continue to enjoy travelling by air.”
She also warned that “ultimately, passengers should be aware that they have a responsibility to themselves and fellow passengers to behave appropriately.”
