Paging snugs -
Didn't you say Blair travels commercial? That he is not permitted to use the Queen's plane?
He normally commandeers the Queen's flight but I think he does sometimes travel commercial I think whatever is considered the best/most convenient at the time.
After all the Queen took the train last week on the way to Windsor.
Apparently the UK is the only G8 country without a dedicated plane for its PM. The No. 32 Squadron performs many flights for Blair and the Royal Family and others are charter flights. I've never heard that he would actually fly commercial. Maybe it was a private trip so he didn't want to waste money?
It seems like a dangerous security issue to me. The UK is one of the countries with a nuclear bullseye on it so the PM should have a dedicated aircraft just for defense purposes. Blair has requested a plane for this reason but the media mocked him calling his requested plane "Blair Force One."
Interesting that I was staying last week in King David hotel in Jerusalem.Tony Blair was there for few days.When he had to fly to Abu Dabi,his flight was delayed because there is no permission for direct flights from Israel to many Arab countries.