Well I happen to think the 1900D is a great airliner – comfort wise, it is the best 19 seater around.

Two questions though WD – firstly, what is a stabilon? I think I understood the rest of your points, but I never heard of a stabilon before.

Second, whenever I’ve flown on a 1900D (a lot, but only with two airlines so possibly not representative), the flight deck has been open to the main cabin (well, sometimes a curtain is pulled, but not always). Is this the norm in the USA? I’ve only flown the type in the UK and Zambia, most recently 4 months ago.

It gives me that little boy what-a-joy-to-fly feeling to go on a 1900D and see out the front windows rather than the side windows!

No one “deserves” anything.

I think my house is worth £1,000,000. I deserve to get that much when I sell it!! Guess what…the market disagrees with me and I’ll only get what a buyer is prepared to pay me, which sadly is somewhat less.

Skill, training and responsibility do not entitle anyone to earn a certain amount. Supply and demand determine wages in the long run! To a certain extent, collective pressure (unions) can push wages up, but in the end it boils down to simple….supply and demand.

Well without getting into a whole new issue, the whole point of an airline is ultimately to make a profit.

If you’d rather not make a profit you can always go down the Cubana or Communist-era Aeroflot route.

The only piece of Turkey in Europe, is the tiny bit on the West side of the Boshporus – a part of Istanbul.

Not sure how one defines continental boundaries GD1, maybe Turkey is semi-European like Russia?

At first glance, this order doesn’t make sense – it’s too large.

However I think you can understand it better if you consider the following.

1. Nobody would be surprised to see SIA order a total of 40 A380’s. In the long term, how is Emirates any different? Their growth is focused in the same direction.

2. As one of the few cash-rich airlines around right now, they can safely order all these aircraft – in the knowedlge that it will tie up A380 production. They can then sell their delivery slots at a premium to other airlines. Or even sell options on the slots.

3. Emirates might have a different attitude to risk than Airbus. There are airlines out there which Airbus will not give firm slots to, because of doubts over their ability to pay. Emirates might be willing to place the order on their behalf.

4. You can be certain that Emirates got a good discount for a bulk purchase. They could probably turn a profit by selling some aircraft on for a price that exceeded what they paid (hence the profit) but at a price less than what other airlines planning to order only a small number might otherwise pay.

I disagree.

The “class” of First and Biz travel has never been higher. Economy has been elevated to new highs through Economy Plus cabins.

Economy is better than at any time in the last 30 years, although I suppose not as good as in the 50’s.

Low cost carriers have not caused the loss of glamour; the original cheap and cheeful airlines were the charter airlines!