Article
Jet2.com comment on support for Onboard Together
Published: Thu 10 Nov 2016 at 15:32
Updated: Thu 10 Nov 2016 at 15:33
Research released by World Travel Market has revealed that three quarters of people agree with our decision to ban onboard sales of alcohol before 8am.
Phil Ward, Managing Director of Jet2.com comments:
“This research proves that our industry leading action towards tackling disruptive behaviour has significant support, so we urge airports and retailers to adopt the same sensible approach towards the sale and consumption of alcohol, such as introducing tamper proof bags at duty free shops.
“There is no single factor that has contributed to the rise in alcohol-related incidents on board our or any other carrier’s aircraft. It is a cumulative effect, involving increased retail opportunities, such as offers on alcohol in duty free shops, bars and even fast-food outlets and coffee shops. Passengers are able to start the consumption of alcohol very early on in the process of travel.
“The effects of drinking alcohol to excess are not always apparent on boarding, as it can take time to enter the bloodstream and affect the individual. This, coupled with the thinning of the blood on an aircraft, can leave a person more susceptible to the effects of alcohol once in the air. As a result of this, airlines, our crews and our customers can be the ones left to deal with the consequences of drinking to excess before boarding, which can include disruptive, aggressive and abusive behaviour. This is not fair and it is not acceptable.
“As a family friendly airline carrying millions of holidaymakers, with over 2,000 crew, Jet2.com has led the way in tackling this issue through our Onboard Together campaign, which takes a zero tolerance approach to disruptive behaviour. Our most recent step was the announcement of a ban on the sale of alcohol on board our flights before 0800 BST, and we are very pleased to see this reasonable approach receiving such strong support. This is not about advocating a blanket ban on alcohol, but instead putting in place sensible restrictions, which is why we are calling for more collaboration from the industry, airports and retailers.”
