Sorry alcoholics, US Airways is now banned from serving alcohol on all flights to and from New Mexico. The state Regulation and Licensing Department had already denied the airline a temporary liquor license in June after US Airways served alcohol to a passenger who later crashed his car, killing a family of five. The Licensing Department yesterday rejected the airline's permanent application, claiming that it:

...cannot reasonably find that approval of application will protect the public health and safety or that it is in the public interest.

According to The Arizona Republic, this is "the first time the agency has taken such an action." US Airways earned New Mexico's ire twice before for boozing up passengers who were later cited for drunk driving. The state had issued the airline a citation, and even reached out to discuss a settlement. US Airways never responded.

"That citation is still open, it's never been dealt with," [Bob Hagan, a spokesman for the department] said.

Those two incidents and a third in which state employees witnessed US Airways flight attendants serving alcohol to a visibly intoxicated man while on board a flight from Phoenix to San Diego on Nov. 6, weighed heavily on the state's decision to deny the permit, Hagan said.

"That obviously is not a violation of New Mexico law because they weren't in New Mexico air space, but we took that as an indication US Airways is a questionable candidate for a New Mexico liquor license," Hagan said.