Britain's duty free provider is changing the rules on alcohol consumption in flights in a bid to address the growing problem of air rage, The Times reports.

The newspaper reports that passengers will no longer be able to consume duty-free wine and spirits on flights over concerns that excessive drinking is contributing to a rise in air rage incidents. 

The new measures are being introduced amid concerns of passengers fighting with each other, being abusive to cabin crew or trying to smoke in the toilets.

The change means that duty-free alcohol will now have to be stored in sealed bags that are not to be opened until after flights have landed. 

The bags reportedly cannot be opened without scissors, which are not allowed on hand luggage, and also carry the label 'Do not open alcohol purchases until your final destination'. 

The new rule has been brought in by World Duty Free, which operates duty free shops at many of Britain's busiest airports, including London Heathrow and Gatwick. 

2017 saw 422 serious incidents on flights, making it one of the worst years on record and double the rate of 2014, according to statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority.  But The Times reports only incidents that are a threat to the aircraft are logged, meaning that the real figure could be far higher. 

A spokeswoman for World Duty Free told The Times that the sealed bags were being introduced 'voluntarily'.

'Where they do happen, the impact can be serious for fellow passengers, employees working in the air and at the airport,' she said. 

'The industry is working together to tackle this problem and make disruptive behaviour such as this socially unacceptable. The vast majority of our customers understand that the alcohol we sell can only be consumed when they reach their destination, and this message is already clearly conveyed at tills, on receipts and on bags.'