18 AUGUST 1961, Page 13

WHY?

SIR,—At whose orders did the pretty air hostess in the uniform of the Irish airline stand with out- stretched arms to prevent me and 109 other impatient passengers from leaving a Boeing, already delayed thirty minutes for 'maintenance inspection,' at Lon- don Airport last Saturday?

Queen Louise of Sweden and Princess Andrew of Greece, who had travelled as ordinary passengers, were allowed to leave and stood chatting at the bot- tom of the aircraft steps for five minutes. But until they had finished their conversation we were imprisoned in the aircraft without explanation

MARGOT WALMSLEY