Was the Polish president on a presidential plane?

[proud2BlibKansan]

Or was this a commercial flight?

96 people on board - sounds like a lot for a presidential plane.

[Betty Karlson]

1. It's a government plane

Poland is, still, too destitute to buy the president his own plane. Which is why so many important persons were on one plane. (In fact, the plane would have been replaced by a more reliable one, if Poland had not had to give priority to other expences.)

[glowing]

2. Other countries don't have such luxuries as their own Air Transport.

We are one of the only one's who provide a special plane/ helicopter transport to keep the President safe. I'm sure people like Brown and Sarkozy use a private plane, but its not commissioned special.. Its more like what congress does. Foreign dignitaries aren't as padded and protected as the US President.

[DeschutesRiver]

3. Don't know if you've seen this list (early list, subject to change) but it reads like the whole .gov

I wonder who is in charge of Poland right now, and who is left to fill the positions below? This is a list I found of those on board and deceased:


* Lech Kaczyński, the President of Poland
* Maria Kaczyńska, the first lady
* Ryszard Kaczorowski, the last President of the Polish government-in-exile
* Jerzy Szmajdziński, Deputy Speaker of the Sejm
* Władysław Stasiak, Chief of the Office of the President of the Republic of Poland
* Aleksander Szczygło, head of the National Security Bureau
* Paweł Wypych, Secretary of State in the Office of the President of the Republic of Poland
* Mariusz Handzlik, Undersecretary of State in the Office of the President of the Republic of Poland
* Andrzej Kremer, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs

* General Franciszek Gągor, Chief of the Polish Army General Staff
* Andrzej Przewoźnik, Secretary-General of Rada Ochrony Pamięci Walk i Męczeństwa
* Grzegorz Dolniak, member of the Sejm
* Przemysław Gosiewski, member of the Sejm
* Zbigniew Wassermann, member of the Sejm
* Janusz Kochanowski, Polish Ombudsman
* Sławomir Skrzypek, President of the National Bank of Poland
* Janusz Kurtyka, Historian and president of the Institute of National Remembrance
* Tadeusz Płoski, Bishop of the Military Ordinariate of the Polish Army
* Izabela Jaruga-Nowacka, member of the Sejm
* Jolanta Szymanek-Deresz, member of the Sejm
* Aleksandra Natalli-Świat, member of the Sejm

Gen. Bronislaw Kwiatkowski (Commander Operations)
Gen. Andrew Blasik (Air Force Commander in Chief)
Gen. Tadeusz Buk (Commander of Land Forces)
Gen. Wojciech Potasinski (Commander of Special Forces)
Vice Admiral Andrzej Karweta (Commander in Chief of the Polish Navy)
Gen. Casimir Gilarski (Commander, Training)
__________________

[nemo137]

5. The Speaker of the Sejm becomes president.

It looks like he may have been the designated survivor from the list you posted, but I'm not sure.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. The Prime Minister wasn't on the flight

and he was probably the most powerful position, for domestic policies anyway.

Poland's presidency is mainly ceremonial but the constitution gives the president responsibility for "representing" the country abroad.

Lech Kaczynski, who was elected president in 2005, used this right to carve out a role for himself in foreign policy.
...
Indeed, Mr Kaczynski often clashed with the prime minister. Earlier this week Mr Tusk travelled separately to Katyn to commemorate the anniversary with Russia's Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin.
...
The government now has to find new commanders for the armed forces which could, as in the case of the Law and Justice party, open the way to a new, more modern generation of military leaders.

Parliament will have to vote on a new central bank head in place of Janusz Skrzypek, and replacements for other senior officials like the human rights ombudsman, Janusz Kochanowski, who also died in the crash.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8613355.stm

[DeschutesRiver]

8. Thanks to both of you

I am not that familiar with Poland's political structure.

I was imagining how shocking it would be to those who live there to realize they've lost this many and varied government officials all in a single day. If I woke up to this news, I'd be worried.

[Hello_Kitty]

9. Incredibly bad idea to put that many top brass on the same plane. eom

[MajorChode]

4. Even the prime minister of the UK flies commercial

The US is one of only a few countries that have exclusive head of state air transport.

[RB TexLa]

7. Military plane, just like Air Force one is a military plane.

Doubtful it was as nice as Air Force one.