BOOZERS MUST GET ON THE WAGON TO MAKE THE FLIGHT

Taking to the skies could seen be a sobering experience. As hard-drinking
passengers continue to cause havoc in the air, the Civil Aviation Authority
has announced stringent new penalties to deter mile-high alcoholic excess.
In future, anyone who becomes drunk and disorderly at 39,000ft can expect
fines of up to 5,000 and a two year jail sentence - bad news for those
travellers who think that getting drunk is the only way to get through a
long boring flight.

"It is a very serious problem which needs to be addressed," says CAA
spokeswoman, Anne Noonan. "Drunk passengers are not only dangerous to
themselves and the aircraft, but it is very unpleasant for other people."

Over 130 reports of incidences involving disruptive behaviour by passengers
is now on file with the CAA. Most are alcohol-related. The latest incident
involved a British businessman who had to be physically restrained last
month when he became violent during a flight from Gatwick to Orlando,
Florida. John Henson, a 33-year-old sales marketing director, tore up a seat
and indecently assaulted a stewardess when she refused to serve him a drink.
He was handcuffed for the remainder of the flight.

Alcohol has long been the preferred way for passengers to steady their
nerves or start their holiday in the way that they mean to go on. As cheap
holiday packages encourage more people to fly - 55 million people flew out
of Heathrow airport last year - the problem is escalating.

"Sooner or later an aircraft is going to have a very serious accident and
lives could be lost as a result of drunken behaviour," says Roy Humpreydon
of the UK Flight Safety Committee. Disaster loomed for one flight when a
drunk passenger tried to open the aircraft door at 30,000ft. Fortunately, he
was prevented from leaving the aircraft as it flew across the Pacific.

High-profile drunkards in the air include the star of Oasis, Liam Gallagher,
who reportedly made a flight to Australia a "living hell" and footballer
Paul Gascoigne, who narrowly avoided being arrested after he caused a
drunken scene on his way back from Hong Kong in 1996.

The new tougher laws may deter the hardliners but airlines have already
taken steps to deal with irate passengers who have a little too much free
Chardonnay. Air 2000 sends its cabin crews on "conflict management" training
courses run by Manchester Police.

British Airways, which reports 12 cases of violent assault on staff last
year, has recently given staff sweeping powers to deal with abusive
passengers. These included preventing them from boarding until they sober up
and physically restraining troublemakers in the air.

At 39,000ft, situations can escalate very quickly," says Air 2000 training
manager Di Disley. "We want the cabin crew to be able to deal with a
situation so it doesn't become a safety hazard for anyone on the aircraft."

When a stern warning is not enough, staff can use force to restrain a
passenger who is out of control. The Air Navigation Order, which applies to
any British plane wherever it is in the skies, makes it an offence for
anyone to board an aircraft drunk or get drunk during the flight. The
definition of drunk is open to interpretation but includes swaying or
slurring speech. Offenders can be arrested as soon as they disembark.

Most aircraft now carry plastic handcuffs. Sitting on a troublemaker is also
within the rules. Other airlines have adopted vetting procedures to winnow
out those who have already been drinking heavily. Monarch airways will not
let drunk passengers fly and their ticket is void with no refund offered.

But does all the blame lie with bad-mannered passengers or should airlines
take some responsibility for disorderly conduct in the sky? A spokesman for
the 'Air Travel Guide' points out that many airlines encourage the liberal
imbibing of alcohol by selling duty-free spirits in the air.

Although first class passengers get as much champagne as they can drink for
free, many budget airlines now make charter passengers buy drinks. "They
don't want to make a dent in their profits but they don't want the problem
either. They can't have the best of both worlds."

No-smoking policies have also been blamed for increasing alcohol
consumption. British Airways no longer allows passengers to smoke on any of
its flights. A long-haul journey can be real torture for someone used to
smoking 20 cigarettes a day.

Bruce Tobin, spokesman for BA, dismisses this argument. "Surely they can
control themselves? They can always have a cigarette in the airport before
they embark and, hopefully, that will last until they get to their destination."

Many passengers may not realise that alcohol is far more potent in
pressurised cabins. One drink on the ground equals two in the air due to the
decreased oxygen supply.

"It is common practice for pilots on, say, the Boeing 747 to save money by
switching off one or two of the three air-conditioning packs when they reach
cruising speed," says Farrol Kahn, the director of the Aviation Health
Institute.

Whatever the reasons for sky-high drunkenness, passengers under the
influence of too much alcohol can disrupt more than the in-flight movie.
Henson's inebriated antics forced the pilot of his plane to divert to the
nearest airport - Boston.

"It was a great inconvenience for the other passengers who expected to land
in Orlando," says Tobin. Henson later plead guilty to causing malicious
damage to property and was ordered to pay 6,700 in compensation.

Other passengers have found that getting drunk while airborne is even more
costly. In 1995, Colin Greening became involved in an alcohol-fuelled fracas
with his girlfriend while flying from Rhodes to Gatwick. The plane was
diverted to Munich and Greening is now repaying 17,000 to Britannia Airlines
to cover the extra landing fees and passenger taxes.

In future, ignorance will be no excuse. In an attempt to warn people the CAA
has issued a leaflet outlining the penalties. Says Anne Noonan: "A leaflet
will be included with every ticket. We expect people to read it."

Checked-by: Melodi Cornett