0:00:05 > 0:00:09Looking forward to your summer holiday abroad?
0:00:09 > 0:00:15Better hope you're not stuck on a flight with this lot.
0:00:15 > 0:00:20SHOUTING AND SINGING.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24On Panorama tonight we investigate the rise
0:00:24 > 0:00:27in drunk and disorderly passengers and the chaos they are
0:00:27 > 0:00:29bringing to UK flights.
0:00:29 > 0:00:32HE HOWLS WITH LAUGHTER.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34When people were getting on the plane,
0:00:34 > 0:00:36they were really clearly very drunk.
0:00:36 > 0:00:38CRYING AND SHOUTING.
0:00:38 > 0:00:40A panorama survey of UK cabin crew reveals
0:00:40 > 0:00:44the scale of our problem with booze in the skies.
0:00:44 > 0:00:47Take your seat the plane is just...
0:00:47 > 0:00:49And all the colleagues who have been punched,
0:00:49 > 0:00:54kicked and one of them was head-butted by a passenger.
0:00:54 > 0:01:04We go undercover to expose the truth about alcohol sales at UK airports.
0:01:07 > 0:01:10They are making it very, very readily available.
0:01:10 > 0:01:12BLEEP!
0:01:12 > 0:01:16And we ask whether subsidising cheap flights through alcohol sales
0:01:16 > 0:01:23is leaving passengers and crew with a nasty hangover.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45More than two million flights take off from the UK every year.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48Most are uneventful, but some passengers cause problems,
0:01:48 > 0:01:52even before takeoff.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54June 21st, Wednesday afternoon.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56Passengers at Manchester Airport were waiting to board an easyJet
0:01:56 > 0:02:01flight to Antalya in Turkey.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04It was my summer holiday with my boyfriend so yeah,
0:02:04 > 0:02:08I was pretty excited.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11Before we even boarded the plane, there was a party of four.
0:02:11 > 0:02:20They were very, very drunk and loud and disruptive.
0:02:20 > 0:02:23The flight took off.
0:02:23 > 0:02:25Almost immediately passengers and crew became increasingly
0:02:25 > 0:02:29disturbed by the drunken behaviour.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31About 25 minutes into the flight, one of the two passengers started
0:02:31 > 0:02:33to get extremely abusive.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35She was shouting at the crew.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38Who was the steward to tell her she can't drink any more,
0:02:38 > 0:02:40she's on her holiday.
0:02:40 > 0:02:42She just kept swearing and swearing and kicking off.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44It was escalating.
0:02:44 > 0:02:47I was more concerned about my immediate family because
0:02:47 > 0:02:49they were getting very distressed.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54Eventually when the stewards did manage to confiscate the alcohol...
0:02:54 > 0:02:58A litre bottle of vodka.
0:02:58 > 0:02:59..probably about a third left.
0:02:59 > 0:03:00BLEEP!
0:03:00 > 0:03:02The women's behaviour forced the crew to divert
0:03:02 > 0:03:06to Stansted Airport.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09Having delayed other passengers by three hours,
0:03:09 > 0:03:12the women were removed by police and received penalty notices
0:03:12 > 0:03:15for public order offences.
0:03:15 > 0:03:17Enjoy your holiday in Stansted!
0:03:17 > 0:03:24It's embarrassing, it really is embarrassing.
0:03:24 > 0:03:26Planes are only diverted when the disruption is so extreme
0:03:26 > 0:03:29that the crew can't carry out their duties and
0:03:29 > 0:03:32ensure passenger safety.
0:03:32 > 0:03:34BLEEP!
0:03:34 > 0:03:38This police footage shows the arrest of a drunk, abusive
0:03:38 > 0:03:40passenger after his behaviour caused his flight to be
0:03:40 > 0:03:46diverted to Gatwick.
0:03:55 > 0:04:05He was jailed for nine months for offences including assault.
0:04:09 > 0:04:12It has been even worse - drunk passengers threatening to kill
0:04:12 > 0:04:18or open plane doors and even attempts to enter the cockpit.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22Arrests of passengers suspected of being drunk on a flight
0:04:22 > 0:04:28or at a UK airport have risen by 50% in the past year.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31Panorama contacted all 20 police forces with a major UK
0:04:31 > 0:04:33airport on their patch.
0:04:33 > 0:04:40The 18 that responded had made a total of 387 arrests.
0:04:40 > 0:04:43These alcohol-fuelled incidents are now being
0:04:43 > 0:04:53captured by holidaymakers armed with smartphones.
0:04:56 > 0:05:01Being drunk on a flight is a criminal offence which can land
0:05:01 > 0:05:04you in prison so why do so many of us hit the bar,
0:05:04 > 0:05:09whatever the time, as soon as we get to the airport?
0:05:09 > 0:05:15SINGING AND SHOUTING.
0:05:15 > 0:05:17Baroness Hayter is founding director of Alcohol Concern.
0:05:17 > 0:05:21The Labour peer is also vice-chair of the all-party group on alcohol
0:05:21 > 0:05:26misuse and has long held misgivings about its sale at airports.
0:05:26 > 0:05:29The way airports now work, the way they make their money,
0:05:29 > 0:05:33is basically expecting passengers to spend a lot of money
0:05:33 > 0:05:36when they are there.
0:05:36 > 0:05:45The biggest thing that happens as you go is alcohol.
0:05:45 > 0:05:48Cash spent on booze helps keep the price of air travel down.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50But has it now become too readily available?
0:05:50 > 0:05:52To find out for myself what's really going on,
0:05:52 > 0:05:53I'm heading to the airport.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56I'm meeting Baroness Hayter at Gatwick to catch an early morning
0:05:56 > 0:06:02flight to Barcelona and to do some secret filming with my smartphone.
0:06:02 > 0:06:04Hello!
0:06:04 > 0:06:05Nice to see you.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07Good to see you early morning.
0:06:07 > 0:06:09It is very early.
0:06:09 > 0:06:10What's the time?
0:06:10 > 0:06:11Six o'clock.
0:06:11 > 0:06:12Hm, I know.
0:06:12 > 0:06:14I don't normally do this.
0:06:14 > 0:06:20One in every ?5 spent in Duty Free at Gatwick is spent on alcohol.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24The first thing is after the loos - a pub.
0:06:24 > 0:06:25The Red Lion.
0:06:25 > 0:06:28And you have never been in a pub at six o'clock
0:06:28 > 0:06:29in the morning, have you?
0:06:29 > 0:06:30Never.
0:06:30 > 0:06:34So at 6am many people in this bar are boozing before breakfast.'
0:06:34 > 0:06:36So I counted six pints already.
0:06:36 > 0:06:37Yes.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40There's a couple more Bellinis.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42Make that seven.
0:06:42 > 0:06:43A glass of white wine over there.
0:06:43 > 0:06:45It's six o'clock in the morning.
0:06:45 > 0:06:49The reason alcohol can be sold at airports this early is that once
0:06:49 > 0:06:53you're through security, licensing laws governing
0:06:53 > 0:06:55everywhere else don't apply.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59If you go half a mile outside of Gatwick Airport,
0:06:59 > 0:07:04you couldn't go and buy alcohol there in a pub, or anywhere else,
0:07:04 > 0:07:07now why is this different?
0:07:07 > 0:07:10As well as bars, cafes and restaurants serving drinks,
0:07:10 > 0:07:14Gatwick, like most UK airports, has VIP lounges, open
0:07:14 > 0:07:17from as early as 4am.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21So for an entrance fee of around ?25 what do you get?
0:07:21 > 0:07:30You serve yourself and you can drink as much as you like in
0:07:30 > 0:07:35the three-hour window.
0:07:48 > 0:07:51You serve yourself and you can drink as much as you like in
0:07:51 > 0:07:52the three-hour window.
0:07:52 > 0:07:53No, no, you go first.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56We can drink as much as we want and we have just met
0:07:56 > 0:07:59some really nice people but they said their flight
0:07:59 > 0:08:01is delayed so they could well be in here 2-3 hours.
0:08:01 > 0:08:04For that they will have had, I don't know, ?50 worth of drink,
0:08:04 > 0:08:06something like that, just keep going.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10Finally, before making our way to the gate, the Baroness
0:08:10 > 0:08:12and I are offered free spirits.
0:08:12 > 0:08:16Try this...
0:08:22 > 0:08:26That was our tour, Gatwick Airport.
0:08:26 > 0:08:27Gatwick Airport.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29On our way to Barcelona.
0:08:29 > 0:08:31From what you've just seen, would you say the airport
0:08:31 > 0:08:32is responsibly selling alcohol?
0:08:32 > 0:08:33No.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36They are selling it where there's children, out of licensing hours.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39They are selling it without asking how much people have already drunk.
0:08:39 > 0:08:49They are making it very, very readily available.
0:08:49 > 0:08:53This apparent free-for-all seems likely to be contributing
0:08:53 > 0:09:02to the steady rise in drunken passengers boarding planes.
0:09:02 > 0:09:06But many in the aviation industry were reluctant to talk
0:09:06 > 0:09:10to Panorama about the problem.
0:09:10 > 0:09:14We did persuade serving cabin crew to speak to us,
0:09:14 > 0:09:22but only under the condition we kept their identity hidden.
0:09:22 > 0:09:26I've found countless litre bottles of vodka.
0:09:26 > 0:09:32We find bottles of Jagermeister, bottles of Bacardi, bottles of gin.
0:09:32 > 0:09:37I took three miniatures off a lady, she said, "They told me I can drink
0:09:37 > 0:09:41these on board the aircraft when I was in the Duty Free shop."
0:09:41 > 0:09:44I've gone into the back galley and been cornered by somebody trying
0:09:44 > 0:09:49to kiss me and making sexual moves on me, having to push them away.
0:09:49 > 0:09:55It can go from anything, from banter to sexual assault really.
0:09:55 > 0:09:58And all the colleagues who have been punched,
0:09:58 > 0:10:01kicked and one of them was head-butted by a passenger.
0:10:01 > 0:10:04It is definitely getting worse.
0:10:04 > 0:10:08So to what extent do their experiences represent what is really
0:10:08 > 0:10:10going on in the skies?
0:10:10 > 0:10:13With the help of Unite the Union, Panorama has surveyed
0:10:13 > 0:10:164,000 UK cabin crew.
0:10:16 > 0:10:20We've learnt that the overwhelming majority had witnessed drunken,
0:10:20 > 0:10:26disruptive passenger behaviour most in the last year.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30We also found that more than half of cabin crew who responded
0:10:30 > 0:10:35to our survey had either experienced or witnessed verbal,
0:10:35 > 0:10:43physical or sexual abuse by drunk passengers on board a UK flight.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46Some airlines are reluctant to admit publicly this is a problem,
0:10:46 > 0:10:49but behind the scenes, most are training their
0:10:49 > 0:10:53staff to deal with it.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55Where is this drink, where is it?
0:10:55 > 0:10:57Excuse me, what seems to be the problem?
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Can you sit down?
0:11:01 > 0:11:05I wanted another drink, five minutes ago!
0:11:05 > 0:11:09Mark Hardy from SecuriCare is a specialist in aviation
0:11:09 > 0:11:13conflict management.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16..then we're going to turn your hips and neck at the same
0:11:16 > 0:11:18time and sweep off.
0:11:18 > 0:11:20OK.
0:11:20 > 0:11:22I'll just show it again.
0:11:22 > 0:11:26'One in five of the cabin crew who responded to our survey had been
0:11:26 > 0:11:28'physically abused during a UK flight, 'so realistic training
0:11:28 > 0:11:30is crucial.' Now get us a drink.
0:11:30 > 0:11:32Where's the crew?
0:11:32 > 0:11:35There is an obvious problem developing with at least
0:11:35 > 0:11:36one of the passengers.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38He's kicking off.
0:11:38 > 0:11:40He's kicking off.
0:11:40 > 0:11:41Oi!
0:11:41 > 0:11:43Excuse me, sir, what's the problem?
0:11:43 > 0:11:45I want another drink.
0:11:45 > 0:11:47We've been waiting ages.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49How much have we paid for this flight?
0:11:49 > 0:11:51Would you like a glass of water in the meantime?
0:11:51 > 0:11:52No, I don't.
0:11:52 > 0:11:56Do I look like the kind of guy that wants a glass of water?
0:11:56 > 0:11:57We want...
0:11:57 > 0:11:58Get us a proper drink.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00..you to have a lovely holiday...
0:12:00 > 0:12:01You want a proper drink, don't you?
0:12:01 > 0:12:04But you need to calm down because you're disrupting other
0:12:04 > 0:12:05passengers on the flight.
0:12:05 > 0:12:06Where's...
0:12:06 > 0:12:08It's intimidating and this is just a training exercise.
0:12:08 > 0:12:10Imagine being on a flight where you can't get off
0:12:10 > 0:12:11and it's happening for real.
0:12:11 > 0:12:14I imagine it would be pretty scary and a lot to deal with.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17Despite the scale of the problem, we struggled to get an airline
0:12:17 > 0:12:20to appear on camera.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23The low-cost operator Jet2 did agree to speak to us.
0:12:23 > 0:12:27The Leeds-based firm flies 50,000 passengers a day.
0:12:27 > 0:12:29I think we have to take a stand.
0:12:29 > 0:12:32We will issue a sanction to a customer.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35We will stop somebody from flying home if necessary.
0:12:35 > 0:12:37And we have issued some lifetime bans.
0:12:37 > 0:12:40A year ago, Jet2 also stopped serving alcohol on flights
0:12:40 > 0:12:43taking off before 8am.
0:12:43 > 0:12:47It may only be a limited step, but they are the only UK airline
0:12:47 > 0:12:50to carry out any kind of ban on booze.
0:12:50 > 0:12:52Do you think airports are doing enough?
0:12:52 > 0:12:54I think they could do more.
0:12:54 > 0:12:56I think the retailers could do more as well.
0:12:56 > 0:13:02Two litre steins of beer in bars, mixers and miniatures in duty-free
0:13:02 > 0:13:06shops which can only be there for one reason.
0:13:06 > 0:13:08Items that are not sold on the high street so...
0:13:08 > 0:13:10To drink on the plane?
0:13:10 > 0:13:12Yes.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14Diversions caused by drunken behaviour are rare,
0:13:14 > 0:13:16but when they happen, they don't just inconvenience
0:13:16 > 0:13:23passengers, they also cost airlines tens of thousands of pounds.
0:13:23 > 0:13:31The worst routes I would say are Alicante, Ibiza, Palma.
0:13:31 > 0:13:35They are on an aircraft, it's not a bar, it's not a nightclub.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39That's why a lot of crew do end up hating their jobs.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42They will quit because they just don't get paid enough
0:13:42 > 0:13:43to deal with this.
0:13:43 > 0:13:46When I was walking through the airport the other morning
0:13:46 > 0:13:49and the bars were busy, I would say 80% of the tables
0:13:49 > 0:13:50had alcohol on there.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53At 4:45 in the morning.
0:13:53 > 0:13:55What do you fancy drinking?
0:13:55 > 0:13:57I'll have a cappuccino, please...
0:13:57 > 0:14:00In June, Laura Hodge was about to fly from
0:14:00 > 0:14:02Manchester Airport to Ibiza.
0:14:02 > 0:14:05The former cabin crew manager off on her own holidays noticed
0:14:05 > 0:14:08the drinking of lots of her fellow passengers was getting out of hand,
0:14:08 > 0:14:12before departure.
0:14:12 > 0:14:16The atmosphere in the airport was a bit like party
0:14:16 > 0:14:18atmosphere I would say.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22Downing drinks, counting down, cheering each other on.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24The Ryanair flight was delayed by an hour.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27Laura says the airline announced it would be a dry flight serving
0:14:27 > 0:14:30no alcohol on board.
0:14:30 > 0:14:35Passengers who didn't want to miss out, didn't have to go too far.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38We noticed that there was a bar right next to the gate which looked
0:14:38 > 0:14:42maybe like a temporary bar or something that wasn't normally
0:14:42 > 0:14:47there and they were serving beer predominantly, I remember.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50They are serving booze right next to you.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52Right next to the gate, yes.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55So completely mixed message, it's just crazy.
0:14:55 > 0:14:58When the flight did eventually take off, Laura says the airline did
0:14:58 > 0:15:00serve alcohol on board despite saying they wouldn't
0:15:00 > 0:15:03and the drunken behaviour became even worse.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07When people were getting on the plane, they work really
0:15:07 > 0:15:09clearly, very drunk.
0:15:09 > 0:15:12In my peripheral vision, out the corner of my eye,
0:15:12 > 0:15:15I could see one of the ladies was obviously sat on the guy's knee.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18They were definitely doing stuff that you probably shouldn't
0:15:18 > 0:15:22be doing on a plane.
0:15:22 > 0:15:25The woman in this video, which went viral, admitted being drunk,
0:15:25 > 0:15:28but denied having sex.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31An increasing number of drunken incidents in the sky have been
0:15:31 > 0:15:34hitting the headlines, often captured on smartphones, but
0:15:34 > 0:15:38the evidence isn't just anecdotal.
0:15:38 > 0:15:41The Civil Aviation Authority responsible for flight safety
0:15:41 > 0:15:44in the UK says that in the last five years, disruptive passenger
0:15:44 > 0:15:47behaviour has seen a sixfold increase with industry experts
0:15:47 > 0:15:57believing this rise is mostly down to alcohol.
0:16:08 > 0:16:12Palma is the Majorcan capital and heart of the Balearic region
0:16:12 > 0:16:16of islands, which includes Ibiza.
0:16:16 > 0:16:20Local politician and alcohol campaign leader David Abril believes
0:16:20 > 0:16:24too many British tourists are landing here drunk.
0:16:24 > 0:16:28If there's a delay because of an incident in airports
0:16:28 > 0:16:33like Glasgow or Manchester, it creates other delays
0:16:33 > 0:16:37here in Majorca, so it can collapse the airport,
0:16:37 > 0:16:42but I think we have to act not just for that,
0:16:42 > 0:16:48but because of all of the problems created by this kind of tourism.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52Just last month, the local department of tourism asked
0:16:52 > 0:16:56the Spanish Government and the EU for new laws to address the problem.
0:16:56 > 0:17:01So you want a ban on alcohol on flights from the UK coming
0:17:01 > 0:17:03to the Balearic Islands?
0:17:03 > 0:17:06Not only from the UK, we have that same problem
0:17:06 > 0:17:07with flights from Germany.
0:17:07 > 0:17:10What punishments would you like to see put in place
0:17:10 > 0:17:12for people who break the rules if they came in?
0:17:12 > 0:17:15There must be high fines because at the end, these kind
0:17:15 > 0:17:20of people don't understand any other thing than really getting punished
0:17:20 > 0:17:24by paying a lot of money.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28Fewer drunks on UK flights would mean more peaceful journeys
0:17:28 > 0:17:32for other passengers and aviation staff, but it's too late
0:17:32 > 0:17:36for Ally Murphy, who recently quit her job as cabin crew manager
0:17:36 > 0:17:37for Virgin Airlines.
0:17:37 > 0:17:40Well, this is my last ever flight.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43She often worked on long-haul flights but after 14 years
0:17:43 > 0:17:48of service, the drunk and disruptive behaviour of passengers played a key
0:17:48 > 0:17:51part in her decision to leave.
0:17:51 > 0:17:55People just see us as barmaids in the sky.
0:17:55 > 0:17:59I was pulled into an upper-class bed by a passenger who was feeling
0:17:59 > 0:18:03particularly lucky, I guess.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07They would touch your breasts or they'd touch your bum or your legs.
0:18:07 > 0:18:12I mean, I've had hands going up my skirt before.
0:18:12 > 0:18:14It's rage-inducing and you shouldn't have to deal with that.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17There are two words to describe that, sexual harassment and it's
0:18:17 > 0:18:19completely unacceptable.
0:18:19 > 0:18:22Have you ever reported incidents like that?
0:18:22 > 0:18:25I guess I never reported it to the police because, sadly,
0:18:25 > 0:18:28and this is completely wrong and only really occurring to me now,
0:18:28 > 0:18:30you kind of just accept it as part of the job
0:18:30 > 0:18:32and it shouldn't be.
0:18:32 > 0:18:34BLEEP.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36BLEEP.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39The link between alcohol and disruptive passenger behaviour
0:18:39 > 0:18:43isn't news to the UK Aviation Industry, which believes it
0:18:43 > 0:18:48has found a solution.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51Only a year ago, a voluntary code was introduced which most of the big
0:18:51 > 0:18:58airlines and airports signed up to.
0:18:58 > 0:19:01The Code of Practice on Disruptive Passengers suggests
0:19:01 > 0:19:05that airports and airlines should work together to limit
0:19:05 > 0:19:08disruptive behaviour and sell alcohol responsibly,
0:19:08 > 0:19:11so in the years since it was introduced, how
0:19:11 > 0:19:14have things changed?
0:19:14 > 0:19:23Well, not significantly according to our industry insiders.
0:19:23 > 0:19:25The code of conduct isn't working.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29It is all well and good for the Home Office to say that it is.
0:19:29 > 0:19:32They're sat there in their offices behind their desks,
0:19:32 > 0:19:35we're on the front line, we're seeing these
0:19:35 > 0:19:38incidents on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.
0:19:38 > 0:19:41It's the alcohol mainly in the Duty Free that's
0:19:41 > 0:19:43a significant problem.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46I have not noticed any improvement in any passenger behaviour
0:19:46 > 0:19:50within the last year whatsoever.
0:19:50 > 0:19:52None at all.
0:19:52 > 0:19:56One in four cabin crew who responded to our survey were unaware
0:19:56 > 0:19:58of the code of practice.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02Of those who had heard of it, less than a quarter thought
0:20:02 > 0:20:06it was working in reducing drunken passenger behaviour.
0:20:06 > 0:20:10We've also been told by industry insiders that in practice
0:20:10 > 0:20:14not much has changed.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18I'm travelling to Manchester to see for myself and once again,
0:20:18 > 0:20:22I'm secretly filming with my smartphone.
0:20:22 > 0:20:26Manchester Airport is signed up to the voluntary code
0:20:26 > 0:20:29of practice which commits them to the responsible selling
0:20:29 > 0:20:34of alcohol to prevent or manage disruptive behaviour.
0:20:34 > 0:20:36So just arrived at Manchester Airport,
0:20:36 > 0:20:40made my way through security.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43First thing on my right is a Starbucks.
0:20:43 > 0:20:46Hang on a minute, beer, Pinot Grigio, a bit
0:20:46 > 0:20:48of champagne, Peroni.
0:20:48 > 0:20:50That's a shocker.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52Meet you for a beer in Starbucks.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54Never heard that before.
0:20:54 > 0:20:58It's 5:30pm and there are 12 outlets selling alcohol
0:20:58 > 0:21:01in this airport terminal, four of them are cafes that wouldn't
0:21:01 > 0:21:05sell it on the high street.
0:21:05 > 0:21:09Because licensing laws don't apply once you're through security,
0:21:09 > 0:21:16any shop can sell alcohol.
0:21:16 > 0:21:20They surely can't be selling beer in The Pasty Shop.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23And they are.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26Like everyone else, to get to my departure gate,
0:21:26 > 0:21:29I have no choice but to go through the Duty Free shop.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32Every type of alcohol you could want.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35The store is owned by World Duty Free, which sells around
0:21:35 > 0:21:38?365 million worth of wines and spirits at UK
0:21:38 > 0:21:41airports every year.
0:21:41 > 0:21:45Why buy one when you can buy two?
0:21:45 > 0:21:48And before I'm even halfway through the store, I'm
0:21:48 > 0:21:53being offered spirits for free.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02There's a variety of alcohol promotions.
0:22:02 > 0:22:06Miniatures, many with a double shot of spirits, are on a multi-buy
0:22:06 > 0:22:08offer near the tills.
0:22:08 > 0:22:12Four for three offers on miniatures before you get to the main counter,
0:22:12 > 0:22:15where you pay for stuff.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19Hang on a minute - these are normal miniatures,
0:22:19 > 0:22:20the ones I'm used to seeing.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22But the ones next to them are massive.
0:22:22 > 0:22:24They're not miniatures, they're 20cl.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26VOICEOVER: To me, it's hard to see why anyone
0:22:26 > 0:22:29would buy miniatures here, unless it's to drink on the plane.
0:22:29 > 0:22:31But the code of conduct says that staff must advise
0:22:31 > 0:22:36passengers not to do so.
0:22:40 > 0:22:43Although I've been verbally advised not to drink my purchases
0:22:43 > 0:22:47on the plane, in reality, there's nothing stopping me.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49I mean, that is a joke.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Specifically asked her if I could drink them on the plane -
0:22:52 > 0:22:54she said no, I wasn't allowed to.
0:22:54 > 0:22:58And then she's given me them in a bag that is completely unsealed.
0:22:58 > 0:23:08Now, tell me, how are you going to stop someone from drinking these?
0:23:08 > 0:23:11At the next Duty Free shop, the advice about drinking
0:23:11 > 0:23:13purchased alcohol on a flight is very different.
0:23:13 > 0:23:14INDISTINCT.
0:23:14 > 0:23:18Um...
0:23:21 > 0:23:25This advice directly contravenes the code of practice which this
0:23:25 > 0:23:28airport is signed up to.
0:23:28 > 0:23:32Since the year 2000, duty-free and travel retail sales
0:23:32 > 0:23:37in Europe have doubled as the price of our flights has come down.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40How big a role does alcohol play in keeping flights in the air?
0:23:40 > 0:23:44The cost of flying pretty much anywhere is probably about half
0:23:44 > 0:23:46what it was 20 years ago.
0:23:46 > 0:23:50Therefore, the airlines, the airports, have to make money
0:23:50 > 0:23:54somewhere, and they make a lot of money from the sale of drink,
0:23:54 > 0:23:58either to you at a bar or at a duty-free shop.
0:23:58 > 0:24:01Booze now accounts for around 20% of total duty-free sales
0:24:01 > 0:24:06in UK airports.
0:24:06 > 0:24:08So is the rising drunken behaviour which we've uncovered linked
0:24:08 > 0:24:11to the increasing importance of revenue from alcohol?
0:24:11 > 0:24:15I took our investigation findings to the body representing
0:24:15 > 0:24:17the airport industry.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20We've conducted a large survey of UK cabin crew.
0:24:20 > 0:24:22We found a significant proportion blamed drunk and disruptive
0:24:22 > 0:24:25behaviour on the airports not selling alcohol responsibly.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29I don't accept that the airports don't sell alcohol responsibly.
0:24:29 > 0:24:34The sale of alcohol, per se, is not a problem.
0:24:34 > 0:24:39It's the misuse of it and drinking to excess and then behaving badly.
0:24:39 > 0:24:43The voluntary code of conduct says one thing, but the messaging
0:24:43 > 0:24:45in your airport experience is very different.
0:24:45 > 0:24:49At Gatwick Airport, we specifically asked staff if we could drink a lot.
0:24:49 > 0:24:52They told us, "Go for it."
0:24:52 > 0:24:54Right, OK.
0:24:54 > 0:24:55Well, you can drink a lot.
0:24:55 > 0:24:57But is that responsible?
0:24:57 > 0:24:59If we're talking about responsible selling of alcohol, paying ?20
0:24:59 > 0:25:02or ?30 before you're about to fly, being given a three-hour
0:25:02 > 0:25:05window to drink as much as you want and to be told,
0:25:05 > 0:25:07"Go for it"...?
0:25:07 > 0:25:10I think what we are encouraging is that all of our lounge staff...
0:25:10 > 0:25:13If they are airport lounges - sometimes they're airline lounges,
0:25:13 > 0:25:16they're a mix of providers.
0:25:16 > 0:25:19But the point is, they should be saying, "Drink responsibly."
0:25:19 > 0:25:21Within a Duty Free shop at Manchester Airport,
0:25:21 > 0:25:24we asked those selling spirits, including miniatures,
0:25:24 > 0:25:28if we could consume the alcohol on the plane.
0:25:28 > 0:25:33One told us, "Unofficially, I think you'll get away with it."
0:25:33 > 0:25:35What's your response to that?
0:25:35 > 0:25:38Well, you would need to talk to World Duty Free.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40But my view is, well, they shouldn't have said that
0:25:40 > 0:25:44because it is not acceptable to be drinking your alcohol on the plane.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46Full stop.
0:25:46 > 0:25:49So, of course, that is something that those staff either have not
0:25:49 > 0:25:53been trained properly or are behaving irresponsibly.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55Is that worrying?
0:25:55 > 0:25:57And that's the kind of thing...
0:25:57 > 0:25:59Well, of course it's worrying.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01And that's why we're training...
0:26:01 > 0:26:03We're working with the retailers and staff to actually
0:26:03 > 0:26:05make sure that they do understand what their...
0:26:05 > 0:26:06What the rules are.
0:26:06 > 0:26:15World Duty Free told us that it displays...
0:26:24 > 0:26:27But the insiders we've spoken to believe the voluntary code isn't
0:26:27 > 0:26:32enough to police the industry, citing the lack of alcohol licensing
0:26:32 > 0:26:36laws at airports for the virtual free-for-all when it comes
0:26:36 > 0:26:39to pre-flight boozing.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42Four months ago, a House of Lords Select Committee looking
0:26:42 > 0:26:46into licensing laws published a report which said that airports
0:26:46 > 0:26:48need to be brought into line.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51The Government disagreed.
0:26:51 > 0:26:54The Home Office claimed it would be too difficult for their inspectors
0:26:54 > 0:26:58to get through security to inspect bars and restaurants,
0:26:58 > 0:27:02to make sure they're complying with the licensing law.
0:27:02 > 0:27:08They said there was no need, because the voluntary code was working.
0:27:08 > 0:27:12Committee chair and Conservative peer Baroness McIntosh
0:27:12 > 0:27:15is baffled by this position.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19We didn't hear one shred of evidence to show that the voluntary code
0:27:19 > 0:27:24was either working now, or had any possible vestige
0:27:24 > 0:27:27of success in working any time soon.
0:27:27 > 0:27:30Meanwhile, the incidence of air rage goes up daily.
0:27:30 > 0:27:34I would urge, on behalf of the Committee, the Home Office
0:27:34 > 0:27:40to really, really take this problem seriously.
0:27:40 > 0:27:43The Home Office declined our request for an interview but,
0:27:43 > 0:27:49in a statement, said...
0:27:51 > 0:27:55This response is expected in the autumn.
0:27:55 > 0:28:00Sales of alcohol at most European and US airports do
0:28:00 > 0:28:03require an alcohol licence.
0:28:03 > 0:28:07The industry insiders we've met think it's time the UK
0:28:07 > 0:28:08brought in the same rules.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11I think, ultimately, we are there for safety,
0:28:11 > 0:28:15and that shouldn't be forgotten at the cost of people making money.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17And I feel, personally, that it will take something
0:28:17 > 0:28:21more serious to happen - say there's an accident -
0:28:21 > 0:28:25before the CAA and the airlines step in and make a change.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29Campaigners believe we'll only see a reduction in drunken behaviour
0:28:29 > 0:28:34at 35,000 feet if controls on alcohol sales are introduced.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38But a clamp-down could mean reduced revenues for airports,
0:28:38 > 0:28:44and all of us paying more for our flights.