Wetherspoons and Ryanair bosses reignite war of words over call to BAN early-morning airport pints

The bosses of JD Wetherspoon and Ryanair have reignited their war of words over the latter's call to ban early-morning airport pints.

Michael O'Leary, Ryanair chief executive, had yesterday called for airports to ban pre-flight early-morning pints, and impose a two-drink limit per person.

He told The Times: "I fail to understand why anybody in airport bars is serving people at five or six o'clock in the morning. Who needs to be drinking beer at that time?"

Sir Tim Martin, founder of Wetherspoons, has now blasted "Big Brother" policing of alcohol in airports - which he said could lead to passengers being breathalysed in an authoritarian overreach.

Sir Tim added that it had "never been suggested" that his customers had caused issues on flights.

He said any limit on drinking would be difficult to manage.

"It is in everyone’s interests to have good behaviour at airports and on flights," he added.

"A two-drink limit would be extraordinarily difficult to implement, short of breathalysing passengers, and would, in our opinion, be an overreaction - especially since many of the problems stem from incoming flights."

Wetherspoons warned that limiting alcohol in airports would lead to "off-trade sales", with passengers potentially buying booze from off-licences or supermarkets before their arrival.

In 2024, the two clashed after Mr O'Leary proposed a two-drink limit on flights themselves.

The Ryanair chief said: "We don’t want to begrudge people having a drink. But we don’t allow people to drink-drive, yet we keep putting them up in aircraft at 33,000 feet."

In 2024, Sir Tim said: "We’ve had no complaints about our pubs from the airport authorities or airlines in recent years. Years ago we stopped ‘shooters’ at airports.

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"Ryanair in contrast offers a discount on Irish whiskey if a double is ordered."

Mr O'Leary also said his airline has on average, one flight diversion a day, and the issue would not be taken seriously until "somebody creates an accident that causes a plane to crash and kills hundreds".

Richard Holden, the Shadow Transport Secretary, said Mr O'Leary's newest proposal sounded "slightly draconian".

He added: "There is something peculiarly British about the tradition of having a pint at 6am when waiting for your Ryanair flight."

In response to Mr O'Leary's remarks, Wetherspoons said it analysed its airport pub sales in the past six months and found two thirds of sales came from food, soft drinks, tea and coffee.

Tea and coffee accounted for a fifth of all drinks sales, and soft drinks a quarter.

Wetherspoons also said a "significant proportion" of alcoholic drinks ordered came with a meal.

Airport venues are exempt from a licence to serve alcohol, and are not governed by traditional operating hours.

Data from the Civil Aviation Authority showed disruptive passengers had worsened since the pandemic - with airlines including Ryanair and Jet2 now backing calls for a nationwide database for yobs on board.

“As a family-friendly airline we take a zero-tolerance approach to disruptive passenger behaviour," Jet2 said after one incident of chaos just days ago.

"We will fully support the police with any subsequent investigations. This has led to custodial sentences in the past, demonstrating the very serious consequences that this behaviour can result in.

“In addition, we are lobbying for the creation of a national database so that as well as being banned from flying with us, disruptive passengers will also be banned from flying with other UK airlines.”