THE GUARDIAN: French opposition protest as 'Air Sarko One' fulfils president's ambition to fly world-statesman class
For Nicolas Sarkozy – a 1.65m (5ft 5in) head of state with a statuesque wife, a penchant for cuban heels and an arch-enemy who refers to him as "the dwarf" – size most certainly matters.
But the French president can take comfort in the knowledge that, in one area at least, his diminutive stature will no longer be a reason for ridicule: his ageing, relatively petite Airbus 319s will soon be replaced by an airliner with measurements better suited to a leader of his lofty aspirations.
The budget for the new model, an Airbus A330-200 which opposition critics have dubbed "Air Sarko One", was approved earlier this month in a low-key vote which passed largely unnoticed by the French media.
Despite attempts by the Socialist party to derail it, a package worth €185m (£165m) was given the green light by MPs. To the horror of the opposition, the money for the purchase and lavish modernisation of the jet will come out of the already strained defence budget.
Reserved for use by Sarkozy and his entourage, the A330 has been bought second-hand from the Air Caraibes airline. It is currently undergoing a multimillion-pound renovation and is not expected to be in use before the end of 2010. >>> Lizzy Davies in Paris | Monday, November 16, 2009
