Blair Force One ... BA 777 Chartered for just 60 Pax

[The Guvnor]

Telegraph article describing how Prime Ministerial trips work (and who sits where) can be found <a href="http://www.portal.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2002/01/11/nmed111.xml&sSheet=/news/2002/01/11/ixnewstop.html" target="_blank">here.</a>

[ShotOne]

Tony supporting civil aviation?...Good idea, and about time too. Whatever the cost to Joe taxpayer, it must be a fraction of the cost of sending one of Her Majesty's ancient RAF VC10's.

[Rusty A300]

Hey GUV
Does that Member #1 have it in for you, or is that (Guv buys L1011's) just his chip-on-the-shoulder coming into view again?

[Gentle Giant]

Well said Rusty

Mind you, the Guvnor is a prize pillock!

[Young Paul]

"Tony supporting civil aviation?"?! Is this irony?

Transferring funds from HMG to BA is not supporting civil aviation! And I seriously doubt the cost of an RAF VC10 (which the country owns and runs anyway) is greater than that of a BA 777, which they are presumably still financing.

[DownIn3Green]

Blow Boy,

Seems like you are volunteering for the position!!!

Still, though, #1 has slagged Goober, and by the way, Goober (in case you don't know the slang a goober is what comes out of your nose or throat when you have a cold) comitted the ultimate faux pas when he made those comments over on the "...agent denied boarding..."thread.

So, Blow Boy...you support Gooberner? Bl0w Me!!! :) :) :) :)

[ScottishSteve]

to be honest, i've been on a commercial (777)flight with less than 60 pax! United..5 in 1st, none in Bus, about 7 in EconPlus, and the rest in Econ, so President Blair aint doing that BAD!

[ 12 January 2002: Message edited by: ScottishSteve ]</p>

[ShotOne]

Thats odd comment, groggs. What have you got against BA? (no I don't work for them). Yes the government supporting a commercial airline keeps pilots in work. I reckon that IS a good thing.

But they have given precious little help apart from this in the present crisis -a grand total of £40 million. Compare that with £2.6 BILLION handed to the farmers for closing down the countryside.

[sharpshot]

Question is what would the 777 have been doing to earn its keep had the taxpayer not borrowed it.

More to the point, what about the rumour that Goerge was going to see his mate right and let him have one to park up next to the C-17's at Brize?

If Pakistan has earned the alleged four, surely the European leader can have one - what will the call-sign be........that's thought provoking!!

[Daifly]

A friend of a friend is a journalist for the Beeb and he travelled on the 777 on the visit where Blair went to New York for the first time after the 11th.

The "premium" that the journos pay in order to fly in BlairForceOne is well in excess of the cost of chartering the thing; so at least we can all be happy with where our licence fee is going! It's almost renationalisation, isn't it!?! I'm not sure if they offer BA Miles on those routes though...!