The Hungarian state airline MALEV has just been sold to the Russians for 200 million forint. At today’s exchange rates, that is £530,000, $1.05 million (US), or just under €800,000.

Compare with the value of your house, and ask yourself if you should be saving up for your own airline instead. And ths is not the first time – indeed, MALEV is rather expensive by eastern European standards; back in 1999 an Israeli investor bought the Bulgarian national carrier, Balkan Air, for only $150,000, though that deal rapidly turned out to be just as dodgy as you would expect.