Well, Mr. O’Leary, it’s beer o’clock somewhere in the world

Michael O’Leary is back in the headlines — and, true to form, he’s not holding back. The outspoken boss of Ryanair is once again calling for stricter limits on alcohol consumption at airports, this time targeting early morning departures. His question is simple: Who actually needs a beer at 5 a.m.?

It’s a familiar refrain. Every time disruptive passenger behaviour makes the news, O’Leary returns with the same argument — and, to be fair, he has a point.

Across Europe, airline crews are dealing with a steady increase in unruly passengers, many of them fuelled by alcohol. What used to be an occasional nuisance has, according to Ryanair, become a daily operational issue. A decade ago, a diversion due to passenger misconduct might have happened once a week. Today, it’s reportedly happening once a day.

For airlines, especially in the low-cost segment, this is more than just an inconvenience. Diversions are expensive, schedules get disrupted, and safety can be compromised. No airline wants to explain to hundreds of passengers why their flight is landing somewhere unexpected because one individual had too much to drink before boarding.

And yet, every time O’Leary raises the alarm, something else happens too: attention.

Lots of it.

Because, whether you agree with him or not, O’Leary understands the media game better than most. His statements generate headlines, spark debate, and spread quickly across social media — effectively giving Ryanair another round of free publicity. It’s a strategy he has mastered over the years: controversial enough to provoke, grounded enough to remain credible.

Then there’s the other side of the story — the passenger perspective.

For many travellers, especially those heading off on holiday, that pre-flight drink is part of the ritual. The airport isn’t just a transit space; it’s where the trip begins. The rules of daily life loosen, time zones blur, and yes — the idea that “it’s beer o’clock somewhere” suddenly feels perfectly reasonable.

Airports know this too. Bars and restaurants are not just amenities; they are major revenue drivers. Limiting alcohol sales, particularly during peak early departures, would hit that income stream — and it’s no surprise there’s little appetite for change on that front.

O’Leary’s proposed solution — limiting passengers to two alcoholic drinks — may sound practical on paper, but enforcing it across busy international terminals is another matter entirely. Unlike on board an aircraft, airports are open environments, shared by multiple operators, with little coordination when it comes to tracking individual consumption.

And that’s where the debate becomes more complex.

Because ultimately, alcohol is only part of the equation. Most passengers who have a drink before a flight cause no issues whatsoever. The real problem lies with behaviour — and that’s far more difficult to regulate than what’s in someone’s glass.

Stricter rules might reduce incidents at the margins, but they won’t eliminate the underlying issue. Responsibility doesn’t stop at the bar counter, nor does it begin there.

So yes, Mr O’Leary may be right to highlight the problem. But solving it will take more than banning a 5 a.m. pint.

After all, in an airport somewhere in the world right now, someone is raising a glass to the start of their holiday.

And for better or worse — that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.