Qatari princesses halt BA flight

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6920226.stm

A British Airways flight was delayed for nearly four hours after a
group of Qatari princesses objected to sitting next to men they did
not know.

The three women refused take up their seats on board Flight 563 from
Milan's Linate airport to London Heathrow.

Police and Qatari diplomats became involved before the captain told
the princesses to leave the aircraft.

The members of the Emir of Qatar Hamad Bin Khalifa Al Thani's family
ended up getting an Alitalia flight to London.

The women, who had been on a shopping day-trip to the Italian city,
were travelling business class with BA with the emir and an entourage
of staff.

'Safety instructions'

Cabin crew tried to move passengers to different seats but those
travelling together refused to change.

The royals eventually travelled business class with the Italian
carrier, with their staff in economy.

A BA spokesman said: "The people were offloaded because they failed
to comply with safety instructions when the aircraft was taxiing. Two
passengers stood up and refused to sit down."

A spokesman at Linate confirmed the women did not like the seats they
had been allocated because they were next to men they did not know.

The Qatar embassy in Rome said it was a "private matter".