View Full Version : Privat Air & Blair
Lower Hangar
3rd Jul 2005, 09:10
Iwatched the PM step off a Privat Air (A320??) this morning (BBC news) in Singapore. What are the technical (ETOPS, Fuel, Comms, Seating etc ) on these A320's.....and what about training differences for flight deck crew ( as opposed to somebody on the normal 'short haul' utilisation). What sort of stage lengths can they achieve. I've seen Privat Air at O Hare so they've obviously got some legs.
Clipper7
3rd Jul 2005, 10:09
He went via Saudi Arabia.
cavortingcheetah
3rd Jul 2005, 11:25
;)
Perhaps he should start up a rival to Virgin and call it:
Cherry Air.
Ho Ho.:hmm:
frostbite
3rd Jul 2005, 11:50
Or operate out of France and call it
Derri Air?
Alright, I'm going....
lasernigel
3rd Jul 2005, 12:08
What happened to his remark a few weeks ago that he only used scheduled flights as to save taxpayers money.
Take it B.A. aren't his favourite airline anymore!
gtadxb
3rd Jul 2005, 12:41
I think you are mistaken: PrivatAir went to SIN on BBJ HB-IIO, not Airbus
Jordan D
3rd Jul 2005, 14:22
I'm with lasernigel on this - why didn't he go with BA .... I mean it was an official trip to Saudi and then onwards .... and BA is a "Premiere Partner".
Having said that - aren't they supposed to be sending an aircraft to SIN covered in the "signatures" of thousand who have Backed the Bid through their site?
Jordan
BEagle
3rd Jul 2005, 14:49
One of THE most neagtive aspects of London hosting the next orgy of people running, jumping and throwing things would be the smug Noo Labour luvvies trying to make political capital out of it all....
Please let it NOT be in London!
apaddyinuk
3rd Jul 2005, 15:04
You will find he didnt go BA as he was going via Saudi where BA no longer operate to and it would cost more money to charter a BA longhaul aircraft than a BBJ thus costing the taxpayers more money!!! Surely you lot are bright enough to figure that one out yourselves!!!
Is it really true that BA don't go to Saudi Arabia any more?
"Pri" being i'm the priminister and "vat" meaning the tax payers will pick up the tab. Cheers Tony.
apaddyinuk
3rd Jul 2005, 16:06
JW411,
BA pulled out of Saudi a number of months ago citing economic reasons. The routes just were not making any money. There were numurous threads in pprune regarding the matter at the time and more recent ones as BMI have now decided to pick up the JED route from September!
DarkStar
3rd Jul 2005, 17:58
Blair went ahead on Private Air but don't worry a BA 777 will soon be winging its way to pick him up along with his 'staff'.
BA don't fly scheduled flights to Saudi anymore.
Witraz
3rd Jul 2005, 18:16
Probably find the real reason for not flying on BA is that as BA are backing the Olympic Bid with slogans painted on various aircraft and statements printed on BA literature, it would be deemed politcally incorrect to the other bidders for the Olymics for our government to have such advertising. Cynical old me :ouch:
apaddyinuk
3rd Jul 2005, 18:28
Hi Witraz,
I could easily be wrong but I am under the impression that the BA B744 which will be winging its way with the rest of the UK Olympic reps to SIN tomorrow will have the signatures of several thousand BA Staff and customers who have backed the bid on the side of it. At least that is what has been told to the staff. This aircraft is also due to return with Blair on it!!! But then, I totally see your point and yes, now on retrospect I could see how it is politically incorrect!!!
airship
3rd Jul 2005, 18:37
So, whilst Chirac was buddy-buddying with his chums Putin and Schroeder...
...Tony pulls a fast one to go off and push London 2012 one last time in Singapore?! Maybe Jacques knows better?! :}
Jordan D
3rd Jul 2005, 20:16
A note that Chirac will be there - Tony is coming back direct to Prestwick (be it on whatever BA aircraft or any other) to host the G8.
The running order for the speeches to the IOC puts Paris first, and London 4th (its drawn by lot). Time difference allows Jacques to be there for the speech & make it back to Scotland, but it would be impossible for Tony to do the same, so he's just schmoozing.
Back the Bid. London 2012.
Jordan
Lower Hangar
4th Jul 2005, 04:53
So was it a A319CJ ??
Aircraft shown on SKYNEWS had cockpit eyebrow windows, so that makes it a Boeing BBJ. gtadxb has already stated that it was HB-IIO
Mutt
If the 744 has signatures on it it is news to us at BA.
Jordan D
4th Jul 2005, 06:28
HZ123 - then the BA website lied (not a first I know .....!)
Jordan
Mark Lewis
4th Jul 2005, 08:51
Did you never see this HZ123? Oh well its the 4th today, so much for a flying petiton...
http://www.britishairways.com/travel/signtheplane/public/en_gb
A300Man-2005
4th Jul 2005, 09:57
It was definitely a Boeing 737 BBJ, as it had (as the previous correspondent noted) eyebrow windows, AND built-in airstairs.
Airbus tend not to have airstairs, and certainly NOT eyebrow windows.
Cheers for now.
Sultan Ismail
4th Jul 2005, 19:06
HB-IIO
HB-IIO is a Boeing 737-700 BBJ with winglets. Based at Cointrin Airport, Geneva.
Dash-7 lover
4th Jul 2005, 22:40
With all the tech A320's etc I would be surprised if there was a spare aircraft anyway!
slingsby
6th Jul 2005, 02:10
Wonder how Mr Brown is going to put this on the tax books, I mean running a bill of $8000 per hour.
Sorry nothing in the world would make me want the olympics here, huge white elephant. So much tax payers expense and for what. Dont see anything like enough spent on health or education, so why bother another milleniuim dome style experiment. Delusional, irrational and totally unjustified expense. Give it to some one who already has the facilities built, let them run it again instead of trying to be something that they are not.
Rant over, toys out of pram. Going to work now, damn these early charters are killing me.
aviate1138
6th Jul 2005, 06:36
Tony B needs a private jet because he is our Prime Minister and he is married to Cherry Bliar and she needs the space for all the 'Bling' we will have bought her in Singapore.
As for the olympic bid, we will never get it because our Two Jags, five houses, Prescott is in charge of the rebirth of the East End of London. So no chance there then John?
At least when we lose, there will be pictures of Prescott with two fingers in the air - as usual.
Thank God he was on the sea and not in the air when he was younger.
Oh and had Tony dropped dead with his heart thing, Prescott would have been our Prime Minister!!!!! :) ;)
Aviate 1138
amanoffewwords
6th Jul 2005, 06:44
'cause of course if any of you guys/girls were the PM you'd travel in Y on BA out of your own pocket.
Anyway, I expect the press members accompanying him paid for the trip as has happened with all previous Blair-aways. I have emailed # 10 on the matter and will let you know the answer asap.
Brizzo
6th Jul 2005, 06:47
Beagle - It's nice that you share my confidence that there will still be a Labour Government in 2012.
The present government have done much for UK PLC with its drive for quality, honesty and equality for all. We are even luckier to be the winner of the Olympics with the many benefits that it will bring us. I have to rest now.
Jordan D
8th Jul 2005, 11:47
In the end - how did Blair get back from SIN to EDI?
Jordan
flying brain
16th Oct 2005, 14:57
For those of you making the accusation that taking a BBJ1 to SIN was expensive, it would have been at least 40% cheaper than the smallest equivalent aircraft with the suitable range, a B767, and 70% cheaper than the return flight on a B777.
The BBJ is a bargain in the long haul non stop market - congratulations to UK Government procurement team for saving the UK taxpayer a six figure sum.