Alcohol excesses at Leipzig Airport: flights are stopped because of passengers!

Alcohol excesses at Leipzig Airport: flights are stopped because of passengers!

The start of the holidays is causing excitement at Leipzig Airport this year. As Thüringen24 reports, several incidents involving heavily intoxicated passengers had to be reported on June 26th. A 27-year-old man, who was on his way to Mallorca, could no longer be spoken to, prompting the crew to abort the takeoff at 5:35 a.m. The breath alcohol test showed a value of 1.7 per mille. After being examined by a doctor, he was taken out of the security area and eventually picked up. The flight was then able to take off without him after a considerable delay at 7:22 a.m.

Another incident occurred in the afternoon with a 45-year-old passenger who wanted to fly to Funchal in Madeira. Airport employees alerted the police when they noticed that he was behaving abnormally and smelled clearly of alcohol. A breath alcohol test even showed a blood alcohol level of over three per mille, which led to the man being immediately escorted from the security area. The Federal Police warned urgently that excessive alcohol consumption before a flight could not only lead to exclusion, but could also burden the airline with the costs of aborted takeoffs, as MDR reports.

The dangers of alcohol on planes

During the holiday season, departure is often celebrated with a glass of champagne or a beer. The travel reporters emphasize that many passengers are already in the middle of their vacation and are enjoying the first few hours of the flight with alcohol. Regardless of whether it is a sparkling sparkling wine or a strong beer - drinking it on board can have dangerous consequences. A study by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) showed that blood oxygen levels drop to an alarming 85 percent in people who consume alcohol during flights. In contrast, the oxygen level of fasting passengers is between 95 and 100 percent, which illustrates the crucial differences for health.

This is where it gets critical: In addition to a falling oxygen level, the heart rate of drunk passengers increases by an average of 88 beats per minute. This combination of alcohol and sleep at high altitudes can put a lot of strain on the cardiovascular system and promote health complications and medical emergencies during the flight. This makes it all the more important to appeal to all travelers to avoid consuming alcohol during the flight, especially if there are certain health risks, according to the DLR.

To avoid future incidents like the one at Leipzig Airport, experts are calling for access to alcohol on board to be restricted. These challenges in the sky should not be taken lightly - after all, it is about the safety of all passengers. Responsible use of alcohol is the be-all and end-all for a relaxed start to the holiday season.