Airlines Push for Dry Airports
Jeff Edwards May 04, 2016
If a coalition of Indian air carriers gets its way, airside cocktail lounges will become a thing of the past at the country’s domestic airports.
A trade organization that represents some of India’s largest airlines is putting pressure on regulators to ban liquor sales at the country’s airports. The Federation of Indian Airlines (FIA) which counts IndiGo, Jet Airways, SpiceJet and GoAir among its members is asking for an outright ban on alcohol sales for passengers who have cleared security checkpoints in domestic terminals. The FIA is urging government officials to declare the security hold area (SHA), the secure area past security checkpoints, to be an alcohol-free zone as a means of curtailing a growing number of incidents in which intoxicated passengers have caused trouble on flights within India.
“Several domestic airports in India have outlets in the SHA (domestic sector) selling alcohol, thus allowing passengers to consume prohibited alcoholic drinks after they have checked-in and have undergone security check at the domestic terminal,” the FIA wrote in a letter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) obtained by the Hindustan Times.“In view of the safety concern and to avoid any inconvenience to the traveling passengers, FIA requests you to kindly review the policy allowing sale of alcoholic drinks in the SHA at the airports and prohibit the same.”
The airlines contend that gate agents are not equipped to ensure intoxicated passengers do not board flights and that the assessment can be better decided at security checkpoints. Putting the onus to identify intoxicated passengers on security screeners, however, only works if passengers do not have access to alcoholic beverages after clearing the security line. The letter notes that incidents involving intoxicated passengers have resulted in “huge flight delays” and greatly inconvenienced the traveling public.
Not everyone in the travel industry supports the proposed ban. Some experts say that it would be nearly impossible to completely segregate domestic passengers from international passengers who would still be allowed to enjoy a drink under the FIA plan.
“Liquor is served on international flights to and from India. The new integrated terminals that we have at Delhi and Mumbai serve both domestic and international flights.” Rajji Rai, former head of Travel Agents Association of India told the newspaper. “Do we stop liquor sale there as well?”
[Photo: Rajanish Kakade/The Associated Press]
> selling alcohol, thus allowing passengers to consume prohibited alcoholic drinks The zealot obviously missed the memo from some 80 years ago. > The airlines contend that gate agents are not equipped to ensure intoxicated passengers do not board flights So 'equipping' them isn't an option because that would put the onus on the airlines, I understand. > ..as a means of curtailing a growing number of incidents in which intoxicated passengers have caused trouble on flights within India And why do these numbers go up? Did the fraction of alcoholics grow? If airlines would not routinely alienate their customers with ever shabbier seats, some of them even worse than others, arrogant crews etc etc etc maybe these people would not feel the need to throw a tantrum. But introspection just isn't an airline's thing.
it's all BS. people have always been drunk on planes. only now, every time someone passes wind it's an international incident and the cops are called to arrest them. a bit rowdy? jail. in a bad mood and make a smart-ass comment to a miserable stewardess? jail. too much power in the hands of small minded people....
So much for ever going there.