Unfortunately, excessive drinking on flights is not a new occurrence. Thirty years ago, on my honeymoon, we were flying from JFK to Martinique. Plane left JFK at about 9 AM on a Sunday morning -- and already the drunks were out. Evidently, this PanAm flight was used by Club Med to ferry its US customers to its Club on Martinique, and all of these louts appear to have decided that in order to preserve their stock of beads for the upcoming week (Club Med used beads as drink chits), they decided to start their drinking a day early.

Long story short, fistfights and other nastiness broke out around us in Economy on the plane. I can't say that it also involved smoking because smoking was still permitted at that time. Needless to say, one week later when we went to FDF airport for our return journey to JFK, my bride and I were concerned that the same group of louts would be on our plane again. But fortunitiously the Club Med bus had delivered all of its PAX to the airport a couple of hours before we arrived, so they were already checked in. At the counter, because it was a hot day, there was some discussion as to whether we (as later check-ins) might have be bumped from the flight. But as things worked out, we were permitted to board the flight and were BUMPED TO FIRST CLASS!

While we kept an ear cocked towards the back of the plane to listen for any commotion, we didn't hear any -- so maybe they were all alcoholed-out after a week of debauchery (the Club Med on Martinique was considered to be one of the most libertine of their roster).

The UK ANO, which is, afaik, a legal document, has an article that states:

139 Drunkenness in aircraft
(1) A person must not enter any aircraft when drunk, or be drunk in any aircraft.

It's not a case of airline rules, or the CAA doing someone else's work. It's a legal requirement, that, quite obviously, is not enforced on a regular basis.

Define drunk in this context. I know there are definitions for drivers and for cockpit crew and likely other specific activities.

The legal limit in England is 0.08 (0.05 in Scotland) for driving. It's 0.05 for driving in Switzerland. Is there a legal limit for a passenger? And if not, why not and what should it be?

Let us hope that FR succeed in their cases against these pax:
https://uk.news.yahoo.com/stag-party...003533745.html
Of course, the 'pilot was forced' is journo for, "The Captain made a decision for the safety of the aircraft and all on board"

Re the Finns and drinking.


Many Finns I know, of both sexes, will think nothing of drinking a bottle of scotch in one go and the pre departure cognac, even at "crack of sparrowfart", is almost a tradition.


Finns, when they have too much to drink, usually fall on the floor and sleep - a common sight in bars.


They are then collected by the police, for their own safety, and taken to sober up - few are charged with offences as they are generally not aggressive.


In winter falling over, on the way home, can be a problem and the bodies of missing persons are regularly found when the snow melts.


I may be wrong but, although they do drink a lot, I doubt many Finns cause problems by drinking on aircraft.

I remember being on a LHR-ABZ flight many moons ago and I was sat across from a rigger who had been drinking and resumed drinking immediately he sat down. The cabin crew were excellent in talking him off the plane. Of course his bags had to be offloaded which cased delay, but that was a small price to pay.

Quartz-1, I initially misread your post - shocking! I will give myself a slap on the wrist!:E

Often the last flight out of Helsinki at night (23:00 ish) was a short hop to Talinn - quite a sight to see taxi after taxi pull up and disgorge toally blasted Finns who somehow all made the flight

But FinnCapt is correct - they're nowhere near as agressive, niosy and just plain awful as a bunch of Brits

Many years ago Mrs.37 and I were on a fairly early flight out of LHR and spent the previous night in a hotel nearby. Having dined in said hotel we were having coffee and brandy in the bar. At a nearby table were a group of guys having a great time downing various alcoholic drinks in impressive quantities. They looked like a group bound for a holiday and starting as they meant to continue. Mrs and I headed to bed around midnight leaving them still in full cry.
Imagine our surprise next morning at LHR when we met them again, this time all in Finnair uniform, including the captain and not nearly as joyful as they were night before.