Pub bosses have backed calls to restrict airport opening hours, but major chain Wetherspoon’s has condemned the move, claiming it would jeopardise tourism.
Paul Waterson, spokesman for the Scottish Licensed Trade Association, said he could see no reason why bars in airports were subject to different rules and regulations than high street pubs.
Airports and aircraft are exempt from licensing laws which control how and when alcohol is sold meaning customers do not have to wait until 10am to be served a pint in a pub there.
Public health experts in Scotland say it’s now time for a re-think, given the risks to health, and say Covid pub closures should act as a catalyst for change.
A number of bars at Glasgow Airport closed during lockdown and have not reopened.
READ MORE: Comment: Why should a quick pint at the airport be banned by moaning minnies?
The UK Government is considering proposals to restrict pub hours and has suggested banning alcohol sales from 4am to 8am, however the Scottish Government say it has no plans to license pubs.
Scotland has the highest alcohol death rate of all UK nations, with a five-year average of 20.5 deaths per 100,000 population.
“The selling of alcohol in airports seems to be far more liberal than it is anywhere else,” said Mr Waterson. “And I don’t see any reason why it should be.
“When one considers the timings and people go onto transport, I think we have got to be very careful about the hours and so on.
“And when people are going away on holiday they do tend to have money in their pocket and that can be exploited on occasion by some unscrupulous license holders.
“We have always been very strong on the abuse of alcohol and we see very often alcohol abused in airports. Airports should be subject to the same rules and regulations as anyone else.
READ MORE: Scotland records largest number of deaths due to alcohol
“It’s a unique situation where people are leaving a licensed premises and going into a confined area. People are in a different frame of mind and some do over-drink.
“We see groups of men and women and they do tend to abuse alcohol and when they are going onto planes it can be quite difficult if they are unruly.”
Mr Waterson said it was also worth noting that some of the carriers were offering double measures for single prices, which is illegal in Scotland.
He added: “Very often if you order spirits (on aircraft) the small bottles are a higher strength that people are used to and sometimes that leads to over-indulgence.”
READ MORE: Ministers accused of 'dropping the ball' on 'world-leading' alcohol policy
Pub chain Wetherspoons slammed the idea of restricting pub hours, claiming it would “adversely affect the tourist industry” as most holiday destinations worldwide allow drinking at pubs before flying.
Eddie Gershon said: “Wetherspoon applies the same strict policies and procedures to prevent excessive consumption of alcohol in its airport sites as it does in all its pubs.
“We work closely with the airport authorities and other operators to ensure the safety of all passengers , which is paramount.
“We do not believe that additional prohibitions are necessary, although airport authorities, in conjunction with the licensed trade, should be vigilant in not permitting the minority who abuse the system onto flights.”
READ MORE: Scotland urged to end 'breakfast pints' in major post-Covid change
The Airport Operators Association (AOA) said incidents involving disruptive passengers are rare but some budget carriers including Ryanair are supportive of restricting airport bar hours.
Aircraft and bars and restaurants beyond security are fully exempt from licensing laws. Pubs in area outwith this area are not exempt, and the airport’s local licensing authority is responsible for licensing venues.
In Scotland, under the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005, all offences that apply to premises on the high street, also apply airside, such as selling alcohol to an intoxicated individual.
This is different from England & Wales, where some offences only apply to licensed venues.
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