Sir, - I cannot agree with the sentiments on Aer Lingus expressed by Paula Fitzell (September 21st). I too was trapped in Manhattan from the day of the disaster, when I was due to return home, until the following Sunday.
Scenes of utter chaos greeted us at the airport in Newark, but the Aer Lingus desk, though facing a queue of three hours, was an oasis of concerned professionalism. Operating under tremendous pressure, the staff there deserved a medal and definitely proved the value of having a national airline to serve Irish citizens, not just faceless reference numbers.
Aer Lingus, you are magnificent - long may you survive and prosper. - Yours, etc.,
Mary Keane, Skerries, Co Dublin.