Drunk air passengers could face £80,000 fine

Drunk passengers have been warned they could face fines of up to £80,000 should a plane have to divert because of disruptive behaviour.

Drunk passengers who cause a flight to be diverted could face a fine of 80,000 pounds. Picture: Andreas Arnold/Getty Images

Ministers have backed a campaign from the aviation industry to tackle problem drinking, which airlines say shows no sign of abating. Early morning bar openings and duty free sales at airports have been blamed for a series of costly and potentially dangerous incidents in the air. The One Too Many campaign, will target holidaymakers at airports across the UK this summer.

As well as reminding passengers they can be denied boarding if inebriated, an offence on a plane, it warns that penalties could include up to two years in prison and being banned from future flights, as well as hefty fines for diverting a plane.