oranjemakker

New Zealand's Trade Minister has been reprimanded for apparent "drunk and rowdy" behaviour on a flight from Dubai on April 30. One assumes this would be the Emirates A380 with the inflight bar!

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/politics/n...ectid=10649867

Personally, I doubt very much that he would have been out of order and suspect its a politically motivated complaint...

Would be interesting if anyone here was on that flight and can shed any light on what actually happened.

I guess though thats always going to be the risk with an inflight bar. I recall the last time I flew VS UC the FA kept having to remind me and the gentleman I was drinking with in their in cabin bar to pipe down... this was presumably after we had polished off the premium vodka, and they had to serve us the cheaper Y class brand!

Rebound

I think this has really been brought into light (in particular within the NZ Media) as it is a Minister, however this sort of behavior can be quite common on flights. Also, the Wellington Koru Lounge can get a bit rowdy when the MP's come in at the ed of the business day - last week the reaction was "oh great here come the politician's"

eightblack

Lets cut them slack. After all, if you were a NZ politician, wouldn't you be drinking heavily

And no doubt, the NZ government spin doctors are working overtime after the trade ministers return flight. I'm guessing he drank the bar dry!

oranjemakker

Agreed: it would certainly drive me to drink! I am fully supportive of the Minister, even if he was hammered, which I doubt.

Its one of the nice things about New Zealands democracy that politicians are not afraid to chill out and enjoy a social drink. I imagine that whoever complained, and note it was not someone on the flight but an associate of someone on the plane, did so out of jealousy or political motivation.