OLIVIER Arzel is rarely perturbed.

Not even the death of a fellow passenger during a flight from Paris to Argentina could faze the chief executive officer of Lladro for Asia Pacific, a company that specialises in making porcelain ornaments.

The Frenchman's distinctively calm approach to life seems to be the same philosophy that is behind the production of these handmade pieces which draw inspiration from the best in nature and mankind.

Each piece, which is painted in soothing pastel colours, takes an average of one year to make from concept to it being sold on the shelves.

Based in Hong Kong for the last seven years, the 43-year-old has a taste for spicy Asian fare and is even game enough to try durians.

He speaks a smattering of Mandarin but will tell you that it is 'hen nan' (very difficult).

He is married to Beatrice, 40, and they have two daughters, Leticia, 10, and Colomba, five; and son Stanislas, who is seven.

Which is your favourite airport?

I like the one in Hong Kong because when I arrive there, I feel right at home.

It's convenient and well-organised as well, so I've never had any major delays there. Changi Airport in Singapore comes a close second in terms of efficiency and service but it's just not home.

Which airline do you think has the best food?

Honestly, all the major airlines serve good food but, maybe because I'm French, I would say Air France because it's food that tastes like home. They have good seafood, some good meat and excellent wine.

How do you handle jetlag?

Now that I'm past 40, jetlag is starting to take its toll. This is especially if I arrive at night after a long-haul flight and I usually need a few days to catch up.

I think the secret is to arrive in the morning and keep yourself busy throughout the day.

Also, adjust your watch to the new time zone the moment you get on board the plane.

What do you always carry with you on flights?

A book and a sweater. The planes can get quite cold sometimes and I need a book because I like to keep myself occupied.

The last book I took with me was a thriller novel.

I don't normally take very intelligent books so I can read just a couple of pages at a time. I think flights are time for relaxation.

Ever had something interesting happen on a flight?

On one flight, there was a death.

This was about 10 years ago and I was flying from Paris to Argentina when the cabin crew announced that we had to make a stop in Brazil for a while. I didn't think too much about what happened because I wasn't very curious. It was in the middle of the night so I think no one really knew what was going on.

Later. the cabin crew discreetly revealed that one of the passengers had died during the flight. Air France handled it very well though - they were very professional.

But the best flight that I've ever been on was when my daughter Leticia was born in Uruguay and I took her home to France.

My wife could only join us a few days later so I was alone with this three-month-old baby.

I love to take care of my kids and she was very quiet throughout the flight. It was really very special.

Have you ever had your flight delayed?

There was once I went away for a weekend in Hainan and Dragonair cancelled my return flight for no apparent reason.

They rescheduled a flight for the following morning but it ended up taking off two hours late and I needed to get back to Hong Kong urgently.

I didn't complain because it just wasn't worth wasting more time after all the stress and worry they caused. However, I did make a very good friend from that delay. We have a lot in common and we actually have mutual friends so that was the only good part about the whole affair.

Ever had an airline or airport lose your luggage?

In 20 years, I've only lost my luggage twice so I've been very lucky.

There was once, a very long time ago, when I arrived in Uruguay but my luggage was delayed so Air France gave me US$200 to buy clothes and they even personally delivered the luggage to my hotel when it arrived.

The second time I lost my luggage was when I flew by NZAir.

Fortunately, I was with friends who were able to loan me some of their things. My luggage arrived only the night before I was supposed to leave so I was not very happy with them.

What do you think of budget airlines?

It allows people with less means to travel. It's less comfortable but it's another way to get from one place to another.

Last year, I flew from Paris to Spain on a Spanish budget airline.

The flight went pretty smoothly but, personally, I wouldn't go on a trip with a budget airline if the flight takes more than four hours.

This article was first published in The Sunday Times on Mar 23, 2008.