Arsene Wenger defends 'absurd' decision to fly from London to Norwich

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger (GETTY IMAGES)

Arsene Wenger has defended the decision of Arsenal to fly to Norwich for last weekend's defeat at Carrow Road.

The flight, which would have taken around 15 minutes, has been criticised by green campaigners and labelled "absurd".

But Wenger today explained the decision to charter a flight to take the team to Norwich for a game the Gunners would lose 1-0.

"Usually we take the train and there was no train available, so in the end we decided to fly because we had to drive up on Friday afternoon at the moment when you never know how long it lasts," he said.

The co-ordinator of the Norwich and Norfolk Friends of the Earth, Jennifer Parkhouse, said of the decision to fly: "I cannot see any reason why they would have flown, other than it being a rather ostentatious display of the players' and the club's wealth.

"If the flight took 14 minutes, they must have spent more time just getting on and off the plane than in the air."

Had club legend Dennis Bergkamp still been playing for the club, Arsenal may have taken a different route to the game. The Dutchman was notoriously afraid of flying, a condition which made away matches in Europe a logistical nightmare.