That Was The Year That Was
2022 in revue
I apologise for the two-week hiatus this month. I was dealing with a family situation, in Australia. Please stick fat, we will be back next year. Wishing you all the best for Christmas and the new year.
As we continue to note from time to time, our humble weekly column That Was The Week That Was takes its name from perhaps the first political satire TV programme in the world, broadcast in the early 1960s, by the BBC. It opened each week with a song, the structure of which did not change, but the contents were amended to reflect the week’s news.
As was the case last year, and by way of homage, here is the year, the year that was, in review, in revue style…
That was the year that was,
It’s over, let it go.
That was the year that was
Did we build back better? Well, sadly, no…
That was the year that was,
It’s over, let it go.
Our Ukrainian geography is now on the up;
But the situation for the Ukrainians
Is more of a pup.
January started as January might,
At the new normal level of flight.
But then came the Russians in a long line of tanks.
At least Ukraine’s farmers gave thanks
For the spare parts and sport.
Of the impact on aviation, they gave not a thought.
We diverted around Ukraine, we called Russia names,
They responded by stealing 500 planes.
As the vaccines advanced, we looked ever more keen
For recovery and for shoots that were green.
Was that a light at the end of the tunnel,
Or an on-coming train?
That was the year that was,
It’s over, let it go.
That was the year that was
Did we build back better? Well, sadly, no…
That was the year that was,
It’s over, let it go.
The on-coming train was system-wide chaos
Nobody saw coming: what bathos…
Then came the summer, the chaos grew,
To all of the airports, all airlines, all crews.
Turned out our unpenting demand was too strong
Against border police, and security screeners, and baggage handlers
Who could not keep up with the in-coming throng.
What did get better was the finger pointing.
That was truly world class.
Nothing our fault, it was others that put us on our arse.
The baggage halls filled, the lines grew longer
Building back better? Perhaps no longer…
That was the year that was,
It’s over, let it go.
That was the year that was
Do we build back better? Sadly, no…
That was the year that was,
It’s over, let it go.
At least the mask mandates were over
And airline profits in clover.
By autumn we realised the new normal was shot
The new new normal was the best of the lot.
But demand was unstoppable, the punters keep coming
Not even sky-high prices would stop their gumming
Up the airports, the airways, even the plumbing.
The world talks of inflation, of downturn, recession
But for aviation the good times are still firmly in session
There seems no end to demand, to full aircraft impressions
How long can the industry defy economic gravity?
Maybe the answer is just one word – sustainability…
That was the year that was,
It’s over, let it go.
That was the year that was
Did we build back better, well, sadly, no…
That was the year that was,
It’s over, let it go.
That was the year that was.