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G-BYGB · Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 12:48 pm Post subject: BA plane overshoots runway.

A BA plane slightly overshot the runway at the Miami international airport on tuesday.Guess what British PM Tony Balir was also on board with his family for a vacation.The plane was not damaged and no passengers were injured.BA flight 209 ran over couple of airfeild lights after landing around 6:15 pm, but did not leave the pavement and returned to the gate under its own power,airport spokesmen Marc Henderson said.

Interesting.It is uncommon to see the leader of your country travelling with you.His family was one among the 343 passengers on the plane.They planned to stay with Robin Gibb of the Bee gees.I wonder whether the other passengers would have spoken to him?
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the_380 · Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 12:52 pm Post subject:

link here
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G-BYGB · Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 1:04 pm Post subject:

It must've been a pleasent surprise for other passengers traveling with him.If I'am not wrong, any leader of the nation cannot use the Government money for personal or a non-official travel right?So it's good to see Mr Blair traveling along with the ordinary passengers.Sadly, we don't see that thing in our leaders.
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karatecatman · Guest

Queen Elizabeth has also travelled commercial. Air New Zealand is one of her favourites.

And more trivia on the Blair 747:
A UNI report (Dec 27) says the incident would have been considered to
be minor, but became something bigger when the U.S. Secret Service confirmed reports that the British Prime Minister was on the plane.

Agent Darrin Blackford, a Secret Service spokesman said it was a family vacation. A security motorcade then whisked the Blairs from the airport toward Miami Beach, while the other passengers went through passport control for two hours.
The Blairs' apparent destination was the Miami Beach home of former Bee Gees star Robin Gibb. Outside the home of the 57-year-old singer on Tuesday night was heavy police presence: black SUVs; marked cars from Miami Beach; and Miami-Dade and several officers.
A man who said he works at the Gibbs' 10-bedroom, nine-bathroom, $9.7 million home said this week's houseguests were A top British government official and his wife and sons. Rolling Eyes

A woman who answered the telephone at the home confirmed it was Gibbs' home, but quickly hung up on a reporter when asked if Blair was staying there, says the report.

Other passengers were cornered by the media who said they noticed the Blairs sitting in first class.

Passenger Ilister Campbell said she saw him getting on board and told herself that it was very interesting. The flight was great, but the first class curtains were tightly drawn, she said.
After landing, the pilot said they had a problem, but passengers said they saw a number of police vehicles following the plane. They immediately thought someone bad on board was being arrested.
The commercial flight wasn't cheap for the Blairs also. A BA ticket agent said a roundtrip, first-class ticket from Heathrow Airport to Miami International is about 4,600 pounds -- that's about $9,000 -- during the holidays.

Also, the in-flight movie was The Queen, a 2006 movie that gives an inside look at how Blair and Queen Elizabeth II dealt with the death of Princess Diana in 1997. Campbell said the weird thing was that the movie is all about Tony Blair.
British Airways made headlines in England recently when it suspended an employee who violated the company's no-jewelry policy by wearing a cross to work. And at an aviation industry conference in London last month, Blair referred to the incident in a chat with British Airways Chairman Martin Broughton. Blair praised British Airways as a great airline and sympathised that the issue was difficult.
BA may have needed a Blair to boost its fortunes, but this incident with Blair on board has raised questions about the world's favourite airline.

'

JumboJet · Posted: Wed Dec 27, 2006 4:45 pm Post subject:

karatecatman · Guest

More on this:
BA has started to blame Miami airport for the Blair plane scare, says a UNI report (Dec. 27). BA says poor markings at Miami are to blame.
A BA spokeswoman said the pilot landed exactly as he should have done but that the turn-off from the runway was not well marked. The taxiway was not clearly visible so he radioed the tower for assistance, she said. Anything about overshooting (the landing) was incorrect, she said. She also confirmed that runway lights were broken but said this occurred while the plane was being towed.
Miami airport has reacted saying BA was just finding excuses and it was surprising that BA, which is one of the largest operators into Miami, never had a problem till now. BA has to accept that it was a bad landing, it said.