30 AUGUST 1997, Page 21

Once and future King

SCOTCH in one airport bag, socks in another, I reach the departure gate, where a bizarre sight awaits me. Has my aircraft been camouflaged, or has it been painted in British Airways' new livery? In either case, BA must now call this joke off. Instead the logo merchants and consultants should be honouring the airline's mightiest chairman (now its president emeritus) on the occa- sion of his 80th birthday. A crisp new name and a simple design would suffice: just a crown, and the legend KING AIR.