Tim Martin CEO of Wetherspoons pictured at the bar in his new pub in the former premises of The London Dungeon at London Bridge station. Photograph by Richard Pohle Credit: The Times
THE BOSS of Wetherspoons has hit back at Ryanair after the airline proposed to scrap the beloved airport breakfast pint.
Sir Tim Martin, 71, boss slammed the idea to ban the sale of alcohol before early morning flights as a “Big Brother” approach.
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Tim Martin has hit back at Ryanair after the airline proposed to limit airport drinking Credit: Louis Wood News Group Newspapers Ltd
The Wetherspoon boss said it was a ‘Big Brother’ approach Credit: Getty
Ryanair boss, Michael O’Leary, recently called for a ban after saying the rise in badly behaved passengers is causing huge problems for the airline.
He said it had become a “real challenge for all airlines” and questioned why punters needed a pint in the early hours of the morning.
O’Leary has also previously suggested a two-drink cap, something he says the airline tends to follow onboard, in an effort to clamp down on bad behaviour by passengers.
But JD Wetherspoon chief Martin said it could lead to passengers being breathalysed and added that any drinks limit would be hard to manage, The Times reports.
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Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary recently called for a ban on the beloved airport breakfast pint Credit: Reuters
He claimed that badly behaved passengers are causing the airline huge problems Credit: Getty
He told the outlet: “It is in everyone’s interests to have good behaviour at airports and on flights.
“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.”
Wetherspoon also claimed that the majority of its airport sales were not alcohol and any ban would result in passengers buying alcohol elsewhere prior to arriving at the airport.
But O’Leary said the problem with passengers is getting worse – previously the airline would have around one flight diversion a week, which has since increased to “one diversion a day”.
Current rules allow pubs and restaurants in airports to serve alcohol at any time as they do not have to follow the same licensing rules elsewhere in the country.
Passengers drunk on a plane can face being jailed for up to two years, and huge fines if they force a plane to divert of up to £80,000.
