Doctor reveals why you should NEVER have that airport pint

By ESTHER MARSHALL

Published: 16:05 GMT, 20 March 2025 | Updated: 16:08 GMT, 20 March 2025

A doctor has issued a warning to passengers who like to enjoy a pint at the airport before their flight. 

An airport pint might be a popular way to kick off a holiday but it could put you at risk of health issues, according to Dr Kevin Huffman, CEO of AmBari Nutrition. 

Huffman told LadBible: ‘Alcohol can have a more robust effect on the body at altitude.

‘Cabin pressure can boost your Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) by as much as 50 per cent, so that glass of wine at the airport could leave you feeling far more intoxicated than you’d otherwise be.

‘That can affect your decision-making and motor skills, making you more prone to accidents or injury during boarding or deplaning.’  

And as alcohol increases your chance of suffering from dehydration, it could impact the first day of your holiday. 

Huffman explains: ‘Dehydration experienced on a flight early in the day can carry on for the rest of the day.’ 

According to Huffman, there’s one particular time of day when it’s most important to skip having an airport tipple. 

An airport pint might be a popular way to kick off a holiday but it could put you at risk of health issues, according to Dr Kevin Huffman, CEO of Ambari Nutrition

As alcohol increases your chance of suffering from dehydration, a drink could impact the first day of your holiday

The doctor reveals that early morning flights are much more likely to interrupt your ‘natural circadian rhythm’ – your body’s 24 hour clock that regulates your sleep pattern and hormone release. 

He explains that even if you do manage to fall asleep on the flight, the drink may ‘interfere’ with your sleep quality. 

And if you can’t resist that airport drink stop, Huffman recommends drinking lots of water before, during and after your flight to counteract any effects of dehydration. 

HOW TO AVOID DEHYDRATION ON A FLIGHT

NHS Fit for Travel warns that the ‘circulating air inside aircraft cabins is very dry and can affect your skin, lips, nose and eyes’. 

To lower your risk, it recommends using skin moisturisers, saline nasal sprays and lip balms while contact lens wearers should try to switch to glasses for their flight. 

Alcohol and caffeine both increase the risk of dehydration so the NHS recommends limiting your intake of both. 

If you suffer from motion sickness during flights, the NHS suggests to avoid alcohol altogether for 24 hours before your flight. 

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Doctor reveals why you should NEVER have that airport pint

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