Swindon comedian Steve N Allen sees the funny side of the news...

I think we have been well restrained while living a frugal life during the pandemic. We have avoided crowded places, eschewed large sporting events and stayed away from parties, unless you’re in Government.

We couldn’t have too much fun at home because the pandemic was backed up with some shortages. If you were fancying a night in with some ham, beer and flour you may have struggled to get the supplies.

Putting up with boredom has been a challenge but I think I may have been pushed over the edge because the EU has been forcing airlines to keeping flying planes even when empty.

The rules state that to keep the rights to your landing slots a company must actually fly a certain percentage of their flights. I am sure that’s a great rule during normal times but when there are lockdowns and travel bans you’d think they’re let the airlines off with it.

While we weren’t allowed to drive to a seaside resort without risking a fine the airlines were putting empty flights up into the air. Why do I have to recycle when we’re burning aviation fuel to tick boxes.

The flights were needless but I am more annoyed by the fact they didn’t capitalise on this strange event. Why didn’t they let one passenger on who had to stay on the plane at the other end and then fly back?

It would be still be a waste of fuel but at least someone would have a cool story out of it, on a par with those people who buy a KitKat and it’s solid chocolate.

A better idea would have been to use the planes to solve our shortages. When we couldn’t get enough lorry drivers to bring food from the continent we could have crammed the goods into the overhead lockers and brought it in on these ghost flights. Put some chicken under the seat in front and we could have avoided the KFC shortage of 2021.

The airlines and environmentalists are upset, but the kind of oddballs you meet down the pub who go on about chem trails are probably loving it.

Greta Thunberg sarcastically tweeted: "The EU surely is in a climate emergency mode."

You have to feel sorry for her. She took weeks getting to America in a yacht, using a bucket as a toilet, and way more carbon than she saved has been burned on this.

It’s a loophole that needs closing as it does nothing other than cause waste. I am sure the world leaders will sort this the next time they have a climate summit somewhere they have to fly to.