DRUNKEN tourists causing problems on the plane to Spain could soon become a thing of the past – British PM David Cameron has announced plans to deny boarding to passengers who are clearly heavily intoxicated.
Recent research by Jetcost.com showed that one in seven British travellers is already drunk by the time he or she gets on a plane to Spain. *
It claimed a typical young adult going away for a summer break with friends gets to the airport just under four hours before the flight to maximise drinking time and 'start their holiday as they mean to go on'.
Nearly one in 14 passengers said they had started consuming alcohol before boarding, and another one in 14 did so once on board.
Only a few said they did so to calm their nerves because they were afraid of flying.
Since the start of this year alone, 156 drink-related incidents on airlines heading out of the UK for sunny destinations – among them mainland Spain and the islands – have been recorded, the highest figure on record since the late 1990s.
One airline covering the Glasgow-Ibiza route has stopped selling alcohol on board because of the number of 'problem passengers', and incidences of planes having to make emergency landings in Spanish airports to remove intoxicated travellers have hit the headlines.
But David Cameron says his series of planned actions to combat rowdy behaviour on airlines includes limiting the number of alcoholic drinks served in flight.
He is even considering a 'blacklist' with names of those who cause alcohol-induced problems on aircraft, which would prevent offenders from flying with other carriers.
