Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department plans on taking to reduce the number of disruptive passenger incidents (a) at airports and (b) onboard commercial airlines.

There should be zero tolerance for disruptive passenger behaviour on flights, whether or not it is caused by excessive alcohol consumption.

The Government welcomes the industry’s approach to this issue through the UK Aviation Industry Code of Practice on Disruptive Passengers, with initiatives such as the ‘One Too Many’ campaign to raise awareness of the penalties of drunken behaviour, and the introduction of tamper-proof bags for duty free alcohol sales.

However, the Government also continues to work with the Civil Aviation Authority, airports and airlines to find other ways to tackle this problem, as part of its consultation on the new UK Aviation 2050 Strategy. The Home Office launched a Call for Evidence on 1 November 2018 to assess the impact which the Licensing Act 2003 could have on reducing alcohol-related passenger disruptions if applied to airside premises at international airports in England and Wales. The Call for Evidence closed on 1 February, and the responses are currently being analysed. Any recommendations will be considered as part of the development of the Aviation 2050 Strategy.