UK Airports Aim to Curb Drunk and Disorderly Behavior

Passengers departing from airports in the United Kingdom this summer will encounter warnings about the cost of drunken and disruptive behavior. The ‘One Too Many’ campaign uses digital display screens in shops and bars to list the potential penalties, from being denied boarding to fines of up to £80,000 ($102,000) or even jail.

Participating airports are Manchester, Stansted, East Midlands, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Southampton, Heathrow, Belfast, Liverpool John Lennon, Leeds Bradford, Bristol, Birmingham, Newcastle and Gatwick. The campaign also ran last summer.

Civil Aviation Authority figures showed the number of disruptive passenger incidents dropped slightly last year, from 417 to 413, though some regional leisure routes saw an increase. Glasgow Airport says there has been a 52 percent drop in outbound alcohol-related incidents, which is said was linked to the launch of One Too Many.

World Duty Free, the biggest provider of duty-free shops at UK airports, now sells alcohol in sealed bags to prevent the contents being accessed before or during a flight. The bags require a sharp object to get into and are labeled ‘do not open alcohol purchases until your final destination’.

Last November, the UK government launched a public consultation into airport alcohol licensing laws, saying it wanted to reduce disruption caused by drunk passengers. Airside pubs, bars, restaurants, lounges and shops at international airports in England and Wales are not subject to the 2003 Licensing Act, which the government said meant they could sell to visible drunk people and offer “irresponsible” promotions.