DIE WELT (Germany), GAZETEM, ROSSIJSKAJA (Russia)
MOSCOW- Too many incidents of rampaging, harassment of crew and other passengers and even attempts to storm the cockpit have led Russian airline companies to decide to ban vodka on board some planes, reports Die Welt.
Photo: Aeroflot
Russian Internet portal gazetem.ru reported that the ban might even extend to alcohol purchased by passengers at duty-free: the alcohol would be stored away during the flight and restituted on arrival.
According to the Rossijskaja newspaper, the Russian Ministry of Transportation is ready to support the plans and is reported to have already undertaken first steps to making necessary changes to legislation.
According to the Ministry, there are annually over 1,000 incidents on flights due to overconsumption of alcohol. A fine of 1,500 rubles (about 37 euros) per person involved in an in-flight melee has long lost any dissuasive power it may have had. Aeroflot alone recorded over 1,000 incidents due to passenger inebriation over the past three years.
Rossijskaja reports that Aeroflot conducted a test from February to June 2010 on long-haul flights on which high numbers of alcohol-related incidents had been reported, such as flights to and from Moscow–Havana, Moscow–Shanghai, Moscow–Vladivostok, and Moscow–Bangkok. Results showed that the violations due to alcohol consumption declined significantly.
