There’s been plenty of altercations involving passengers at airports who might have had one too many to drink – leading to them getting chucked off planes, and even, in some cases, arrested.
Back in May, a British woman was filmed being dragged off a Ryanair flight and thrown to the floor by security staff after she allegedly assaulted passengers and forced the plane to divert to Portugal.
A holidaymaker who witnessed the incident recalled to the Daily Mail how the woman had allegedly been ‘assaulting passengers whilst being drunk and vaping up and down the aisle’.
In January, a video was released of Lewis Howarth, from Bolton, being hurled off a Jet2 flight from Manchester to Turkey by armed police, after a pre-takeoff drunken outburst, during which he called an air hostess a ‘d***head’ for asking him to fasten his seatbelt.
He was sentenced to 14 weeks behind bars at Manchester Crown Court after pleading guilty to entering an aircraft when drunk, assault on an emergency worker and common assault of an emergency worker.
In another incident, an unruly unnamed woman forced a packed Wizz Air flight on the way to Hurghada, Egypt to be diverted mid-air and return to Gatwick, after she reportedly began swearing at flight crew during the journey.
Elsewhere, in April, a Ryanair flight from Manchester to Rhodes descended into chaos when staff were forced to strap an ‘unruly’ passenger to his seat using spare belts after he refused to sit down during landing.
The passenger onboard the flight was reportedly shouting at cabin crew who onlookers said had confiscated two bottles of booze from him and refused to serve him alcohol.
A British woman was filmed being dragged off a Ryanair flight and thrown to the floor by security staff after she allegedly assaulted passengers and forced the plane to divert to Portugal
Foul-mouthed Lewis Howarth, from Bolton, Greater Manchester, was hurled off a plane after verbally abusing staff who asked him to fasten his seat-belt
A Ryanair flight from Manchester to Rhodes on April 3 was forced to return to the air after attempting to land after a passenger refused to sit down
In response to such incidents, travellers have been warned their holidays ‘could be ruined’ before they even jet off from the airport – in One Too Many flyers and posters seen at more than 20 UK airports, including London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Manchester, Liverpool, and Bristol.
First launched in 2018, the One Too Many campaign aims to raise awareness of the legal and personal consequences of getting too drunk on flights and at airports.
With one in every 640,000 passengers disruptive, and millions set to head off on their holidays this summer, the scheme urges travellers to behave sensibly.
It outlines the consequences passengers causing issues could face, from having no holiday, to facing up to two years in prison.
The website reads: ‘Fly responsibly or you could pay the price.
‘If you are deemed unfit to fly you may be denied boarding.’
The campaign warns that those being disruptive on flights may face up to two years in prison and if their behaviour delays a flight from taking off, they could be slapped with a fine of up to £5,000.
It adds that messy behaviour mid-air that leads to an incident could land the passenger with a diversion fee of up to £80,000.
In response to such incidents, travellers have been warned their holidays ‘could be ruined’ before they even jet off from the airport
First launched in 2018, the One Too Many campaign aims to raise awareness of the legal and personal consequences of getting too drunk on flights and at airports (stock)
In an even more severe scenario, travellers that cause a flight to be cancelled could be banned from flying in the future.
The campaign states: ‘The industry is committed to tackling disruptive behaviour through a voluntary Code of Practice.
‘Signatories to the Code work together to prevent and minimise the number of disruptive passenger incidents, and promote:
‘A zero-tolerance approach to disruptive behaviour, the identification, pre-emption, management and reporting of disruptive incidents, the responsible sale and consumption of alcohol; and education and communication with passengers.’
The campaign has gathered support from the Government over the years.
According to the Mirror, Karen Dee, the chief executive of the Airport Operators Association, said: ‘UK airports are committed to providing a safe and enjoyable travel experience for all passengers.
‘We urge travellers to enjoy their journeys responsibly and not ruin their holidays or the holidays of others.
‘Airports will continue to monitor and act against any disruptive behaviour to ensure everyone’s safety.’
In an even more severe scenario, travellers that cause a flight to be cancelled could be banned from flying in the future (stock)
According to the UK Travel Retail Forum, which led the campaign, One Too Many has made an impact since it started in 2018.
Glasgow Airport has reported a 52 per cent drop in outbound alcohol-related offenders.
Meanwhile, Manchester Airport has seen a 23 per cent decrease.
In 2021, the Home Office praised the scheme and said it is ‘invaluable in promoting awareness to passengers before getting to the airport and to the concessions where alcohol is served’.
