Around-the-clock drinking at airports could be banned in an attempt to stamp out drunken air rage

Airport bars could be banned from selling alcohol around-the-clock in a bid to stop drunken air rage.

And duty free shops could only sell booze in sealed bags in a bid to reduce problems on flights.

New aviation minister Lord Ahmad has announced he will look at the current rules, saying airports need to be more family-friendly.

He also pledged to ensure the way in which unruly travellers are stopped from going through airport departure gates is "fit for purpose".

His announcement comes as recent police statistics show hundreds of passengers were arrested on suspicion of being drunk on a plane or at an airport in the last two years.

Figures obtained following freedom of information requests showed at least 442 people were held between March 2014 and March 2016.

Lord Ahmad said: "If you're a young family travelling on a plane you want to go from point A to B, you don't want to be disrupted.

"I don't think we want to kill merriment altogether, but I think it's important that passengers who board planes are also responsible and have a responsibility to other passengers, and that certainly should be the factor which we bear in mind.

"In terms of specific regulations of timings of outlets (which sell alcohol) and how they operate, clearly I want to have a look at that."

Lord Ahmad was appointed aviation minister by Theresa May when she became Prime Minister earlier this month.

His predecessor, Robert Goodwill, revealed last year that several airlines had written to the Government to warn about the number of alcohol-related incidents.

In February six men on a stag party were arrested by German police after a mid-air brawl caused a Ryanair flight from Luton to Bratislava, Slovakia, to divert to Berlin.

Another recent case involved a female passenger punching an easyJet pilot in the face after being ordered to leave an aircraft before it took off from Manchester in May.

Glasgow and Manchester airports have trialled a scheme with shops selling alcohol in sealed bags in a bid to reduce problems on flights.

Lord Ahmad highlighted the value of screening travellers before they board planes.

"I think that it's important for the safety and security of all passengers that we ensure that regime is actually fit for purpose," he said.

He added: "I want to certainly look at what more can be done in terms of making aviation a very attractive sector for all, so whether you're a businessman making travelling arrangements or you're a family planning a holiday, you can do so ... knowing that once you board the plane it's going to be an environment in which you're going to be safe and secure."

Dr Laurence Gerlis of samedaydoctor told how one of his patients was arrested for undoing his flies in the aisle after mixing alcohol and Valium on a flight.

He said: “I have seen a lot of problems caused by alcohol on flights, especially when taken with tranquilisers.

“One of my patients was arrested for unzipping his fly in the aisle as he thought he was in the loo after taking a combination of alcohol and Valium.”

He added that some sort of restriction on sales of alcohol in airports was sensible.

He said:  “The availability of alcohol at airports and cheap or free or free alcohol can contribute to rowdy behaviour.

“Plus the alcohol may have more potent effects at altitude so all in all I agree that some sort of restriction or control would be beneficial.”

Budget carrier Jet2.com is conducting a campaign to tackle problems caused by drunk passengers.