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Dear Stan, Read your story (GulfWeekly, December 23 - 29, 2009) and was a bit surprised with the coverage.

As you can imagine, budgets are tight and the ticket you were provided was given on goodwill.

We (BA) are very proud of Terminal 5 and more than 95 per cent of our flights depart on time and more than 70 per cent of our customers who fly out of Terminal 5 arrive having already checked-in.

It is because of the process that we have in place that we are able to deliver good punctuality. If we add flexibility into this, the system will not deliver.

On the day you arrived late to the airport, BA was not being inflexible. You were late and missed checked-in. I went out of my way to try and get you on another service and, as you know, I did manage to get you away that evening.

The disruption that we are currently facing due to bad weather is affecting all airlines out of Heathrow and not just British Airways.

Tehreem Ashraf,

British Airways,

PE Asia Pacific and Africa.

Editor's note: The article clearly stated that the reason I missed the flight back to Bahrain was because I failed to check in on time.

However, passengers and potential customers will never be satisfied with a service that is threatened by industrial action.

Dear Stan,

Read through your article on T5 in a single breath - couldn't put it down! As you said, the article has been in the making since early 2008. Looks like you finally got the chance.

Thanks for not mentioning Action Bahrain as the agency that "promised" you a first visit!

Rohan Shanker,

Action Bahrain.

Dear Stan,

I would like to thank you for your continuous support and co-operation throughout the year.

May lots of health and wealth, happiness and success make 2010 a wonderful and amazing year.

My warmest wishes for a great New Year.

The poet Rainer Maria Rilke once wrote:

Wonders happen if we can succeed

in passing through the harshest danger;

But only in a bright and purely granted

achievement can we realise the wonder

(As Once the Winged Energy of Delight)

In this spirit my best wishes for a happy holiday season and a Happy New Year.

Marion Labani,

Art Lounge.

Dear Stan,

THIS_is regarding recent news about exploitation of women in Sri Lankan camps. It is regrettably the fallout of the war and the creation of stream of refugees.

The refugees, who are helpless due to lack of basic amenities and support, become easy prey to such kind of exploitation.

In such a situation it is the responsibility of the world bodies involved in safeguarding the conditions of the refugees to spearhead and takeover the guardianship.

A proper mechanism should be developed so that the protectors do not take the advantage and prey upon the victims.

Mohammed Sadullah Khan,

Riyadh, by email.

Dear Stan,

The climate system is a very complex mechanism of nature having the following components: atmosphere (air), cryosphere (ice), biosphere (living things), geosphere (land) and hydrosphere (water).

Solar radiation, deviations in the earth's orbit, mountains and oceans, and greenhouse gas emissions all play important roles in the shaping of the climate.

The motion of tectonic plates reconfigures land and ocean areas over a period of time that may cover millions of years, affecting both global and local patterns of climate and atmosphere-ocean circulation.

Both long and short-term variations in solar intensity affect global climate.

The orbital variations of the earth may lead to changes in the seasonal distribution of sunlight across the globe.

Volcanic eruptions and other volcanic processes release gases and particulates into the atmosphere. Large eruptions blocking transmission of solar radiation occur several times every century.

Alterations to ocean processes such as Thermohaline circulation redistributes heat by carrying out a very slow and extremely deep movement of water.

Anthropogenic factors (human activities) affecting the climate include increase in CO2 levels due to emissions from the use of fossil fuel, aerosols and industrial pollutants, animal farming and deforestation.

If there are more gases in the atmosphere, more of the Sun's energy is trapped on earth giving rise to a warmer climate, popularly known as greenhouse gas effect.

But we need to remember that greenhouse gas effect is a natural warming system that keeps the earth habitable.

Nuruddin Azam,

Australia, by email.