Wetherspoon boss slams Ryanair CEO calls for two-drink limit at airports – and says passengers actually feel drunk on flights rather than in terminal pubs

Wetherspoon’s Tim Martin has clashed with Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary over his call for a two-drink alcohol limit at airports.

The airline’s boss wants a change to pubs in front of boarding gates after a sharp rise in drunken passenger misbehaviour.

But Sir Tim, the chairman of the pub chain that owns seven venues at the airport, claims travellers are getting drunk on flights, not while waiting to board.

He also said pubs at his airport no longer offer ‘shooters’ and ‘double up’ deals, although he said they are still offered on flights.

The The Wetherspoon boss told MailOnline: ‘We have had no complaints about our pubs from the airport authority or airlines in recent years, as far as I am aware.

Wetherspoon boss Sir Tim Martin has criticised the idea of ​​a two-drink limit at airports (stock photo)

Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary demanded the change last night after claiming passengers were getting drunk in the terminal and then causing chaos on board (stock photo)

There are seven Wetherspoon pubs in airports in the UK, including the Windmill in Stansted

‘A few years ago Wetherspoon stopped selling ‘shooters’ at airports, as well as the ‘double-up’ offers that some airlines, including Ryanair, still offer.

‘We thought that most of the problems at the time were caused by incoming flights, which may indicate fewer checks abroad.’

Footage has emerged of the chaos of recent years, with a Ryanair hostess telling of a time when she was taunted by ‘drunk’ Manchester United fans who chanted sexist songs at her on a flight to Barcelona.

Chloe Harrison said she had only been on the job for three months when she was confronted by a group of lewd followers, one of whom even invited her to join them in the toilet.

Ryanair chief executive O’Leary said yesterday that cabin crew were now dealing with fights on flights on a weekly basis because passengers were drinking more alcohol than they should before boarding.

He called for a two-drink limit on each boarding pass, explaining: ‘It’s not that easy for airlines to identify people who are drunk. As long as they can stand, they’ll get through.

“And then, when the plane takes off, we see the misbehavior.”

Mr O’Leary said airports were opposed to the changes and insisted they would refuse to serve passengers who were too drunk. But he added: ‘They will serve the family members of the drunk passenger.’

In February last year, chaos broke out on a Ryanair flight and a flight attendant said she was verbally abused by ‘drunk’ Manchester United fans

The Wetherspoon, one of Sir Tim’s three pubs at Gatwick Airport (stock)

Some Brits even shared on social media how they got alcohol on planes, such as TikTok user @Roxreviews

But Sir Tim said that was not the case at his airport Wetherspoon, claiming that in the past four weeks only a third of sales at its busiest terminal pub were from drinks.

He said two-thirds of sales are non-alcoholic, with food accounting for nearly 40 percent of sales, soft drinks nearly 20 percent and coffee 6.7 percent.

Sir Tim continued: ‘Our pubs, along with other airport venues, are involved in airport initiatives such as One Too Many, which warns passengers of the consequences of drinking too much before boarding their flight, including hefty fines and being banned from flying.

‘Mr O’Leary is raising real issues and flight safety is of course paramount, but Wetherspoon Airport pubs offer supervised consumption in a controlled environment, with attractive non-alcoholic options and an extensive menu.

‘There is no perfect solution, but Wetherspoon is confident that, working with airports, airlines and the licensing authorities, it has found a reasonable balance for outbound flights.’

Meanwhile, the Ryanair boss also revealed that crew are now banning water from Britons flying to Ibiza because passengers are filling their bottles with vodka.

According to Mr O’Leary, staff were even forced to search passengers’ hand luggage before they boarded flights to Ibiza and other party destinations.

The boss said this was because passengers were filling their water bottles with vodka and secretly taking it on board.

According to Mr O’Leary, drugs also played a role.

The Times The boss said, ‘We used to only be allowed to take bottles of water on board, without realizing that they were full of vodka.

‘Now they’re not even allowed to take them with them anymore.’

‘In the past, people who drank too much would eventually pass out or fall asleep. But now those passengers are also on pills and powder. It’s the mix.

“You get much more aggressive behavior that is very difficult to control. And it’s not just directed at the crew. Passengers fighting with each other is now a growing trend on board the aircraft.”

But he said the problem with drunk travellers was not limited to Ibiza, but also to other beach destinations such as the Greek islands – and even Liverpool, Glasgow, Manchester and Edinburgh.

However, SkyNews He reportedly said: ‘Ibiza is by far the worst destination for that.’

Passengers aren’t shy when it comes to drinking.

Many people have been sharing their tips and tricks on TikTok lately for getting alcohol on board.

Some passengers sat down and poured glasses of wine they had purchased at airport bars into their water bottles, coffee cups and other items they had on hand.

The footage showed them looking happy as they boarded the plane and showed how they had gotten the drinks on board.

Others filmed themselves filling water or soda bottles with drinks purchased in the duty free shop before heading through the gates to their plane.