WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH 2020Silver linings amid the clouds of
aviation despair
Global Thrill (8-1 at Catterick) looks a better bet than airline stocks
as coronavirus fear spreads, writes Simon Calder
Scrap metal: 747s ending their days in Victorville, California (Simon Calder)
Europe’s silliest air route? Saarbrucken to Luxembourg. This 49-mile hop is, ridiculously, flown twice daily
- even though an excellent 75-minute bus link connects the two cities every hour or two for just €5 each
way.
On Friday evening, the Luxair plane touched down in the Grand Duchy shortly before mine, a slightly more
sensible Ryanair flight from Stansted. All 189 seats had been sold on this link, though I counted at least 20
empty as people stayed away from the airport, and Continental Europe.
With Covid-19 claiming ever more victims, these are strange times. Just in case you were ever tempted to
invest in an airline, the past couple of weeks will, I hope, have persuaded you to put your money somewhere
safer – such as on Global Thrill at 8-1 in Wednesday’s 2.20pm at Catterick.