RYANAIR has called on British airports to enforce a two-drink limit alongside an alcohol ban before 10am to curb antisocial behaviour.
The Irish airline’s request comes after it was revealed that the number of passengers arrested for drunken behaviour increased by 50 per cent last year.
Ryanair has already banned customers from drinking duty-free alcohol on board.
A total of 387 drunken passengers were arrested on Ryanair flights between February 2016 and February 2017, according to figures obtained by the BBC’s Panorama programme.
That’s up from 255 intoxicated passengers on the previous year – with 18 out of 20 police forces with a major British airport on their patch revealing a surge in arrests for drunken behaviour.
Marketing director of Ryanair, Kenny Jacobs, said: “It’s completely unfair that airports can profit from the unlimited sale of alcohol to passengers and leave the airlines to deal with the safety consequences.
“This is a particular problem during flight delays when airports apply no limit to the sale of alcohol in airside bars and restaurants.
"We are calling for significant changes to prohibit the sale of alcohol at airports, particularly with early morning flights and when flights are delayed.”
Ally Murphy, a former cabin crew manager with Virgin, told Panorama: "People just see us as barmaids in the sky.
"I was pulled into an upper-class bed by a passenger who was feeling particularly lucky I guess. They would touch your breasts, or they'd touch your bum or your legs, or I mean I've had hands going up my skirt before.
"It's rage inducing, and you shouldn't have to deal with that.”
She added: "I guess I never reported it to the police because sadly, and this is completely wrong and only really occurring to me now, you kind of just accept it as part of the job. And it shouldn't be."
Another cabin crew member, who was unnamed in the programme, said airline workers had found "countless" litre bottles of vodka and believe Alicante, Ibiza and Palma are among the worst routes for drunken behaviour.
It is currently illegal in Britain to board an aircraft under the influence of alcohol.
The Air Navigation Order 2009 states: “A person must not enter any aircraft when drunk, or be drunk in any aircraft,” but does not define what constitutes “drunk”.
