Sarkozy's £165m Jet Cleared for Takeoff
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

Barack Obama's Presidential Plane Causes Panic in New York

TIMESONLINE: It was an image New Yorkers never wanted to see again: a jumbo jet trailed by two fighter jets buzzing dangerously close to the city’s most famous landmarks.

On Monday morning a 747 and two military planes circled the Statue of Liberty and flew close to the World Trade Centre site, causing panic among locals in New York. Residents and office workers evacuated buildings and ran onto the streets, fearing a repeat of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, in which two hijacked airliners smashed into the World Trade Centre, killing almost 3,000 people.

But the flyover was nothing but a photo opportunity involving one of Barack Obama’s official presidential airplanes, apparently one of a series of flights to get pictures of the plane in front of national landmarks.

The flyover – carried out with little warning by the US defence department – was branded as “insensitive” by New York mayor Michael Bloomberg. President Obama, who was not on the plane at the time, was reportedly furious when told of the flight by White House staff. >>> Sophie Tedmanson | Tuesday, April 28, 2009