A hangover might not be the worst consequence of having one too many beers on your next flight.
The British government is considering creating a database of disruptive travelers as the airline industry seeks to crack down on drunk, unruly passengers.
A UK government official with knowledge of the plans told Business Insider that, if implemented, airlines would be able to notify authorities of disorderly passengers, so that if they later check in for another flight, other airlines would be alerted.
Airlines would then be able to use their own judgment in deciding what to do about the passenger.
Passengers behaving badly are a major issue for many airlines, with executives and industry bodies calling for action to stamp out the problem, particularly in Europe.
In April, a Jet2 flight from Turkey to London U-turned and diverted to Bulgaria after a pair of passengers began misbehaving. The airline, known for its catchy jingle and affordable vacation packages, said it banned them for life.
“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,” Jet2 said in a statement at the time.
While it isn’t clear whether the people in this case were intoxicated, airline bosses have said alcohol is often to blame.
‘A real challenge for all airlines’
REUTERS/Peter Nicholls/File Photo
“It’s becoming a real challenge for all airlines,” Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary told The Times of London in an interview last month. “We have been calling for many years for a limit of two drinks per person per airport,” O’Leary added.
“I fail to understand why anybody in airport bars is serving people at 5 or 6 o’clock in the morning. Who needs to be drinking beer at that time?”
In many countries, it is illegal to be drunk on board an aircraft, and offenders face fines or prison time.
Jet2 and Ryanair have also said they will pursue misbehaving passengers for the costs associated with flight diversions — including fuel, compensation, and, in some cases, overnight accommodation.
In 2025, Ryanair sued a passenger it said had forced a flight to divert, claiming over $15,000 in damages. Later that year, it also asked a Spanish court to fine or potentially imprison another disruptive passenger, who tried to take a seat that wasn’t his and caused the flight to take off late.
As well as being a costly nuisance, drunk passengers can also land airlines in hot water with regulators.
Last Tuesday, the Federal Aviation Administration announced that it was proposing a $165,000 penalty against Alaska Airlines, saying the airline let intoxicated people board 11 flights between February 2024 and February 2025.
Alaska Airlines told Reuters that it has “made meaningful changes” to comply with the FAA, including enhanced training for flight attendants and customer service agents.
The British government source told Business Insider that, while there are already laws in place to deal with offenses on flights, it wants to crack down on people who “persistently cause disruption.”
“Anti-social behavior on flights is totally unacceptable, as it threatens the safety of passengers and crew and disrupts hard-earned holidays,” they added.
