Blair flies home low-cost

Herald Sun ^ | 6 June 2006

[Aussie Dasher]

BRITISH Prime Minister Tony Blair gave budget travellers a shock when he boarded their low-cost flight back to London at the end of a week-long Italian holiday.

Mr Blair and a seven-member entourage flew from Rome on Sunday on a commercial flight with no-frills carrier Ryanair, according to Rome's Ciampino airport.

The prime minister has drawn unwelcome attention from British newspapers in the past for using more costly state flights for holiday trips abroad.

Ryanair's press office could not immediately say how much Mr Blair paid for his ticket. The flight left the Rome airport 25 minutes late on Sunday following additional security checks.

Mr Blair had spent the previous week relaxing in Tuscany at the estate of an Italian prince. He had also briefly met with Italy's Prime Minister Romano Prodi and had an audience with the Pope just hours before boarding his flight to London.

Showing his thirst for budget travel had its limits, Mr Blair was met on the London airstrip by a limousine, according to the Daily Telegraph.

His office declined comment.

[Aussie Dasher]

A fine gesture but I fear to think of the security implications.

[Yo-Yo]

Damned if you do...

[cripplecreek]

I'm not so sure I would want he or my President on the same commercial flight with me. At least not without some serious fighter jet escort.

[kinoxi]

I like Tony Blair, i am dreading his replacement however.

[Rakkasan1]

they should have should down Heathrow so he could get his hair cut.

[MadIvan]

I like Tony Blair, i am dreading his replacement however.

Fear not, Gordon Brown is unlikely to change foreign policy much. Then after him come the Tories.

Regards, Ivan

[Suzy Quzy]

This is RIDICULOUS!! Huge security risk.

[kinoxi]

I am functionally ignorant of UK politics and would appreciate if you could expand upon your last statement.

[Aussie Dasher]

Agreed.

If I'd been a passenger on the flight, I'd have bolted off the plane and across the tarmac!

[MadIvan]

Blair has said that he is going to stand down before the next election. His likely replacement is Gordon Brown, our present Chancellor of the Exchequer (our finance minister). However, it's a poisoned chalice, as people are tired of Labour.

The Conservatives (Tories) are likely to win the next election - the poll data has been going their way for some time.

Regards, Ivan

[kinoxi]

thank you

[sasquatch]

Tony, watch out; they're holding back peanuts.

Carter be damned.

[cripplecreek]

I don't begrudge Blair or Bush the high cost of their security.

[Energy Alley]

There is the Royal Flight, but that is for the Royal Family.

There is very little tolerance in the UK for ceremonial excess on the part of the prime minister.

[Ditto]

Agree. That's sad that the Brits would bedgrudge a man of in his position of at least minimal security considering the condition of the world. Meanwhile the Teddy's and Hillary's of the world never need to worry about scraping elbows with any commoners yet get no comments.

[naturalman1975]

I have to say I am surprised at this. The Prime Minister of Australia, John Howard, has what is basically a personal aircraft at this point primarily because of security considerations.

Sure, something the size of the US Air Force One might be overkill for Tony Blair, but I would have hoped it wouldn't be hard to justify him having at least the same as the Prime Minister of Australia.

[Energy Alley]

At one time the Prime Minister had access to military VIP aircraft - but given the choice between a clapped out VC-10 or L.1011 that will break down somewhere along the way and chartering a British Airways 777...

[billbears]

I don't begrudge Blair or Bush the high cost of their security.

I do. They're nothing but politicians. I had a friend fly RyanAir last week after landing in Heathrow. Nothing wrong with their planes.

[JeffersonRepublic.com]

[...Mr Blair was met on the London airstrip by a limousine...]

A limousine? He should have rode his bike and showed the world he's doing more then his fair share to save us from global warming.

[cripplecreek]

You aren't a world leader who millions want dead including foreign governments with the means to do so.

[billbears]

You aren't a world leader who millions want dead including foreign governments with the means to do so

Millions you say? If the security hassle I had to go through to get to London and back was good enough for me, it's good enough for two politicians. My life is just as important. To me and my loved ones of course. And I didn't have a 7 member 'entourage' following me around either. There's your protection. Don't worry though, this is probably nothing more than pandering for a vote or two as Tony seems to be able to get down on the same level as 'the people'.

[coladirienzi]

Perhaps if GWB and friends followed Mr. Blair's example, and had to wait in endless lines, take off their shoes, and get a strip and body-cavity search, and then, while they were dressing, see a group of young jihadis sail on through security with never a second glance, then they might finally, finally fix airport security.

[Energy Alley]

that is just about what the British media would say. I am surprised they don't begrudge 10 Downing Street for having electricity and indoor plumbing.

[NZerFromHK]

I was flying down to Christchurch from Auckland for business purpose this morning, and I saw the Prime Minister, Helen Clark, boarding a scheduled domestic flight to Wellington of which the gate was only next door to ours. People were muttering around as we only saw Clark interviewed live on TV moments ago!

Apparently it is the standard practice of the current Prime Minister of New Zealand to fly on regular scheduled flights.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Ryanair, run as well as the Illinois DMV under George Ryan