Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary’s call for a two-drink limit on airport passengers would be very difficult to manage, an aviation expert has said.

He told the UK's Daily Telegraph that confrontations between passengers have become increasingly common.

"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," he said.

Air and Travel Magazine Editor Eoghan Corry told Lunchtime Live there are already controls in place.

"There is an obligation on cabin crew under international aviation law not to serve someone who has had too much to drink," he said.

"It not really a personal thing, they are not allowed to do it because they can be held accountable for it."

A view through an airplane window, 7-6-10. Image: Tibor Bognar / Alamy

Mr Corry said a drink limit would be "very difficult to manage" at airports.

"The airport isn't one bar run by the DAA, it's a series of franchises," he said.

"Everybody is in there running their business as businesses, they also tend to have different operating hours than your traditional publican.

"So it would be difficult to say, 'You're having two drinks in this bar'.

"Where the real policing of this takes place is at the gate - if someone is too intoxicated, they will not be allowed board".

'Alcohol with other substances'

Mr Corry said sometimes alcohol is not the only issue involved.

"What I've noticed is an increase in [people having a] reaction to alcohol with other substances," he said.

"It doesn't just mean illegal drugs but we're taking far more prescription drugs then we ever did before.

"Even not a huge amount of alcohol can cause a psychotic reaction."

Mr Corry said he believes serving drink in the sky will come to an end "at some stage".

Delta, American and United planes on stand at Dublin Airport. Image: Stephen Barnes/Travel / Alamy

Katherine told the show she supports a two-drink limit approach.

"I would agree [with the proposal] because I could be a nervous flier and if there was violence on the plane it would upset me," she said.

"Having said that I can understand that young people [are] going away on their holidays... but there has to be a limit.

"I would agree with their being a limit - when you're drinking it can have different effects on you.

"If there is violence on a plane, how can you curtial that?"

'Who's going to be counting?'

Paul in Galway said he doubts the restriction could be implemented properly.

"It is a good move but I can't possibly see how it could be policed," he said.

"There's hundreds of people roaming around departures, who's going to be counting drinks?

"Secondly, I can go into duty free and get a bottle of alcohol and drink it onboard.

"Everybody going into duty free doesn't buy Toblerones."

Paul said bar staff "wouldn't have the time to be checking boarding cards" to monitor the drink limit.

'Massive increase'

Simon, who works in the aviation industry, said he thinks it's a great idea.

"We're reaching critical mass in the industry with incidents at the moment," he said.

"Stats for 2023 [show] 50 airlines reported 24,500 incidents onboard - the majority of them through intoxication.

"There was massive increase in the past three years.

"In 2021 there was one incident per 835 flight and in 2022 one incident per 568 flights.

"The latest data [shows] one incident in 480 - so a 74% increase in the space of two years.

"These are official stats from IATA".

Simon believes a two-drink limit 'should and could' be linked to people's boarding passes.

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Main image: Split-screen image shows Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary and an alcohol drink on a plane tray table