The airline claims to be the first in Europe to ban onboard alcohol sales before 8am, a rule which will come into effect from Monday August 8.

The announcement supports the airlines’ Onboard Together campaign, which aims to reduce incidences of disruptive behaviour on its flights.

The initiative has seen more than 500 passengers refused travel, with more than 50 of these given lifetime bans since it was launched in 2015.

Jet2.com is calling for airports and retailers to follow its lead in the ban, and is encouraging others to support the call for fully sealed bags for alcohol purchased in airports, to prohibit the illegal drinking of personal alcohol before and during flights.

Phil Ward, managing director of Jet2.com, said: “We have decided to follow-up very quickly on my comments made last week, by taking positive action to allow the millions of customers and families who fly with us to travel with confidence and have a great experience with

Jet2.com.

“We believe that stopping sales of alcohol before 8am on our morning flights is an effective way to ensure everyone has an enjoyable and comfortable journey.

“We understand that we’re the first of the European airlines to take this bold step and call upon industry partners in airports to also trade responsibly.”

Following comments by The Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, the airline has also written to the Minister for Transport and will continue to "actively consult with government bodies and MPs to further engage with them about this issue".

Lord Ahmad, the new aviation minister, said last week that pre-flight drinking has become a “significant problem”.