Metro bosses have been urged to protect passengers from stag and hen parties arriving “blitzed” onto trains from Newcastle Airport.
Transport leaders were told this week that airport staff had raised concerns about drunken groups flying into Newcastle and causing problems on their journey from the airport to the city.
South Tyneside councillor Gladys Hobson urged Metro operator Nexus to arrange for extra staff to patrol trains between the airport and Jesmond on Friday nights.
She told the North East Joint Transport Committee’s Tyne and Wear sub-committee that there was a problem with hen and stag dos coming off planes “blitzed” and heading into town.
Coun Hobson added: “They are being rowdy and people are feeling intimidated. Can we make sure we have staff there?”
Nexus managing director Tobyn Hughes replied that he was happy to take action, though it has since been stated that there have been no direct complaints about stag and hen parties on the Metro.
A Nexus spokesman said: “North East England has a great reputation as a party destination, which is vital for the local hotel and leisure industry.
“ Metro is an important gateway for visitors arriving from Newcastle Airport, including lots of stag and hen parties at weekends. We offer the shortest airport to city centre transfers in the country.
“We want people to come into our region and have a good time, but neither do we want them to do anything that disturbs other Metro customers during their journeys.
“We have staff at Airport Metro station at busy times. We have had no direct complaints about with stag or hen parties travelling on Metro but we will ensure that we keep an eye on any issues in order to keep the atmosphere positive.”
Newcastle International Airport said that disruptive behaviour is “absolutely not tolerated”.
A spokesperson added: “The airport is a signatory to the UK Aviation Industry Code of Practice on Disruptive Passengers and works closely with on-site airport police, airlines, ground handlers and retail partners to ensure it operates responsibly and safely.
“Instances of alcohol-related disruptive behaviour at the airport are rare, with only a very small number of cases each year. The total number of these incidents are declining each year.”
