Hundreds arrested drunk on planes

Figures revealed today show that hundreds of people have been arrested in the UK in the past two years for being drunk on a plane or at an airport.

Police statistics show that at least 442 passengers were arrested on suspicion of being drunk on a plane, or at an airport, in the period from March 2014 to March 2016.

The cases, obtained under freedom of information requests by the Press Association, include drunk passengers accused of attempting to open the doors of a plane, smashing a window and banging on the outside of the cockpit.

Earlier this year, six men on a stag party were arrested after a mid-air fight caused a Ryanair flight from Luton to Bratislava, Slovakia, to divert to Berlin.

At airports, a man was accused of headbutting another person after he was refused permission to fly, while a passenger at Luton Airport smashed a barrier and kicked out a door panel after missing a flight.

A conviction for being drunk on an aircraft can face a fine or up to two years’ imprisonment.

The figure of 442 arrests is likely to be higher. The Metropolitan Police, responsible for the UK’s busiest airport, Heathrow, failed to give figures.

Aviation minister Robert Goodwill was quoted saying: “Passengers who become disruptive on flights after drinking alcohol cause distress to other travellers, create knock-on delays to other flights, and in rare cases can even put flight safety at risk. That is why we strongly support efforts to tackle the problem. Airports, airlines and the police are developing an industry-wide code of conduct and running information campaigns aimed at passengers.”