British Airways: Cancellations continue after latest IT meltdown at Heathrow

Pilots, cabin crew and aircraft are out of position, with several planes on the ground at Gatwick rather than Heathrow after they were diverted

A British Airways A320 at Heathrow (Getty Images)

Thousands of British Airways passengers are waking up where they did not intend to be after the latest failure of the airline’s IT systems.

At least 50 short-haul flights to and from London Heathrow have been cancelled today, in addition to dozens of departures on Wednesday afternoon and evening.

That represents at least 5,000 BA customers who will face disruption on Thursday, on top of tens of thousands who were delayed or grounded on Wednesday.

Many passengers are still waiting for baggage to be delivered after bags piled up at Heathrow Terminal 5, the main hub for British Airways.

Pilots, cabin crew and aircraft are out of position – with several planes on the ground at Gatwick rather than Heathrow after they were diverted.

Four long-haul flights were “nightstopped” – i.e. held overnight – after departure delays meant crew were unable to complete the journey within their permitted working hours. Some passengers from Heathrow to Cape Town and Johannesburg are expected to fly out at 11am today, around 13 hours behind schedule.

Many flights on Thursday face delays as the operation recovers, and knock-on disruption could continue for several days.

As the Easter holidays begin, there is also concern about BA’s resources to cope with a significant rise in passenger numbers.

Passengers whose flights are cancelled or delayed by three hours or more are entitled to between £220 and £520 in compensation, depending on the length of the journey.

British Airways must book them onto flights with rival airlines if an immediate BA option is not available.

On Wednesday evening a BA spokesperson said: “While we were able to resolve the temporary technical issue we experienced earlier today quickly and resume flight operations at Heathrow Terminal 5, we deeply regret that we have now had to cancel some of our flights this evening.

“We are taking steps to ensure as many customers as possible travel as planned. We have apologised to our customers for the inconvenience we have caused them, are offering to refund or rebook them onto alternative flights, and providing refreshment vouchers and hotel accommodation where needed.”

With lost ticket revenue, hotel stays and passenger compensation, the latest episode of disruption is likely to run into millions of pounds in costs for British Airways.