A complete ban on alcohol sales at airports and on board aircraft could make air travel more expensive, a Moscow airport executive said Wednesday.
Vnukovo Airport chairman Vitaly Vantsev said at a news conference Friday that prohibitionist policies being floated in response to a spate of air-rage incidents could eat into airport and airlines profits, forcing them to raise ticket prices to compensate.
"There are two questions here, social and commercial," Vantsev said. "On the social side, 80 percent of passengers drink because flying is pretty stressful, and why shouldn't they have a glass of champagne? But they are not hooligans and should not be classified as such."
"On the commercial side, for the past 10 years the government has told us the cost of air travel must fall, and it is happening," he said. "But sales of duty-free items are a big part of income for both airports and airlines."
"[Retailers] come to us and ask for rate reductions," he said. "These costs, we will certainly pass on to rates and charges. It will automatically increase the cost of tickets."
National anti-tobacco legislation has already made Russia one of the first countries in the world to ban tobacco sales at duty-free stores, Vantsev said.
Read more: Less Booze, More Comfort For Travelers Using New Vnukovo Terminal | News | The Moscow Times
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