Early morning drinking could be banned in UK airports as Government plans crackdown on drunk holidaymakers

Early morning drinking at airports could be banned as part of a crackdown on drunk holidaymakers.

The Government is planning to limit the hours that passengers can drink alcohol in a bid to reduce drunk and disruptive behaviour at airports and on flights.

The Home Office has launched a review into whether high street licensing laws should be extended into departure halls and terminals, which would see pubs, restaurants and duty-free shops unable to serve alcohol until 10am.

Currently, once you get past security in international airports in England and Wales, the laws don’t apply.

A survey of 4,000 cabin crew by the Unite union previously found that 87% of staff from British-based airlines had witnessed drunken passenger behaviour at UK airports or on flights from UK airports in August 2017.

Travellers already face up to two years in prison or an unlimited fine for drunken behaviour on an aircraft.

READ MORE FROM YAHOO NEWS UK:

Christmas getaway chaos: These are the areas set to be worst affected by rail disruption
Top cop urges police to focus on burglaries and violent crime rather than wolf whistling
Fireworks thrown at blind woman and guide dog as they walked through Leeds park
Watch: First footage offers proof of supermassive black hole lurking at the heart of the Milky Way
CCTV footage shows person breaking into ambulance while crew treated a patient

The three-month consultation will ask for views on whether introducing new laws would help tackle the problems.

It comes after a House of Lords Select Committee recommended that airside outlets which sell and supply alcohol to passengers should have to stick to the same licensing rules as elsewhere.

Home Office Minister Victoria Atkins said: “Air travel often marks the start of an exciting holiday abroad and airports are places to eat, drink and shop as we wait to board our flights.

“Most UK air passengers behave responsibly when flying, but any disruptive or drunk behaviour is entirely unacceptable.

“This Government is committed to ensuring that the travelling environment for airline passengers remains safe and enjoyable.

“This is an excellent opportunity for all interested parties to engage directly with us, inform our understanding of the problem and identify suitable solutions.”