Flying

Planes are back on the track. And I'm not saying this because I'll have to take a few from now until the end of the year (four that I already took in the past month plus six that I will take), but because in the last few weeks everyone is talking about them.

Let's say Ireland, where they are now crazy about the idea of the disappearing of Aer Lingus. The ancient company is going through a bumpy trip, including cutbacks everywhere, while her lifelong nemesis, Ryanair, enjoys a sunny holidays. That's why Ryanair made a bid for Aer Lingus. But the remnant of the flying Celtic tiger is not dead still, and refused the offer. It's a pity, because this year we could have had more girls in the Ryanair calendar. Cute.

Another one who had to think as well that she should be cute is Ms. Mary Harney, head of Health. Now she has behind the ghost of a $400 hairdresser bill she spent in an official FAS trip in 2004. Even worst is the chapter for the flight tickets. Not only she and her team bought First Class tickets to Florida, but the never used it. The use instead the Taoiseach private jet, at a cost of €80.000 for the taxpayer. Of course, now that the difficult times are there, Ms. Harney tries to skip the responsibility: it was Bertie Ahern, then Taoiseach, who granted the permission for the flights. Like if he hadn't enough with his own troubles...


The Irish Government is not the only one under critics. Recently, the Spanish Government fleeted an Air Force plane to evacuate a group of 400 Spaniards stuck in Thailand, while a coup d'etat was feared for some to be soon. Add protesters in the main airports cutting the traffic, not enough space for everyone on the plane and the human nature and you will get fights for occupy a seat, trying to do it even before than a pregnant woman.



Obviously, these critics come from the opposition, the Popular Party (PP). However, the Government is defending itself by attacking back. At the same time that Thailand was about to suffer a soft coup d’etat according with his Government, in Mumbai, India, a few Islamist terrorists loaded with guns attacked the financial centre of the second largest city of the country, targeting Western diplomats. And in between them, a delegation of Madrid’s regional Government, with her president Esperanza Aguirre, head of the PP in the region at the front of it. She didn’t hesitate when someone offered her a plane to go out of there as soon as possible, doesn’t matter if that meant leave the rest of the delegation on the ground, in a dangerous land.

Back in Madrid, Ms. Aguirre was keen to give heroic speeches full of danger to whoever wanted to listen. She didn’t even had time for meeting her family properly. Survivor of a helicopter crash, the survival to the “hell of Bombay” gives her points ahead in the electoral polls. Seriously, I don’t know why, but somehow she reminded me Hillary Clinton’s brave adventure in the Balkans when she landed under “heavy sniper fire”. Something widely used by Mr. Obama’s campaign to undermine her alter it was revealed as false.

Precisely in Obama’s land, Detroit, is where this post ends. Last airplane polemics comes with the Big Three (the three main American car constructors) petition to the Congress for a rescue plan of $35 million. But they went all that way, from Detroit to Washington, using their private jets -remember the previous numbers for Ms. Hanley, because it applies here as well (for the three of them): near $80.000.

At least, while begging for Money, you need to look like you really need it. Or that you are not going to burn it in a crazy way when you get it. The Big Three apparently learnt the lesson, and the second time they went to beg for (more) money, they did it in their hybrid cars to Washington. Nevertheless, if there is a financial crisis worldwide, and you are cutting the spending on your mistress, why not as well the budget for airfares?


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