What's one time Police member and eco-warrior Sting lending his credibility to now, you may ask - and why forty-eight passengers, that's a funny number?

Well, tired presumably of saving the planet, Sting (who will be introduced by Trudie Styler in this benefit on behalf of the Soil Association!) is performing for the 48 passengers who comprise the entire payload of a 757 jet plying its daily trade between London and New York.

Stretched out on 71" flat beds, the pampered few have nothing by praise for Eos. According to Ms Ann Wheaton, CEO of a fashion house quoted in the Independent, "They really looked after me. It's like having your own private restaurant".

Indy columnist Andrew Buncombe agreed. "...the grilled goat's cheese and asparagus salad and the the fillet of beef in a peppercorn sauce were really splendid."

Lest this seem just sour grapes for a grouch with no expense account, here's Richard Dyer, Friends of the Earth campaigner commenting on the impact of a plane designed for 200 carrying just 48:

"Each return passenger on this new Eos service will produce four tonnes of CO2 whilst enjoying a tax exemption of £1000 because aviation fuel is tax free. This is economic and environmental madness".

David Spurlock (former BA executive and Eos founder and CEO) claimed his airlines were, per passenger, "actually more efficient than bigger planes that offered a variety of classes". When pressed for an explanation, the Indy hack confessed, "It made no sense to me and when I asked him again his explanation seemed no more convincing".

Anyone wishing to try and get an explanation of their own is advised to write to Viet_N'Guyen viet_n'guyen@jcpr.com) at frontman company 'Jackie Cooper PR'.

And in case you'd like to argue the environmentalist point of view with any passengers catching the daily 10.30am flight out of Stansted airport, Eos Airlines is operating in Zone K "close to the main entrance and ground transportation".

Eos Airlines' website is at: http://www.eosairlines.com/flyeos/cgi-bin/skylights.cgi