HEATHROW’S terminal 5 lurched back to chaos yesterday when a failure in the
baggage system caused the cancellation of 36 flights this weekend.
BAA, the airport operator, admitted responsibility after a computer failure
meant that baggage had to be sorted manually.
Passengers on 24 flights were grounded yesterday and some flights left without
baggage. Last night British Airways cancelled a further 12 flights due to
leave today for European destinations.
BA, which has exclusive use of the terminal, had pledged a full schedule this
weekend after a disastrous opening for the £4.3 billion facility on March
27. In its first eight days about 430 flights were cancelled and 28,000 bags
mislaid.
Shortly after 11am yesterday the computer system used to match baggage with
passengers failed. As a result, the baggage handlers were forced to make
manual checks on every piece of luggage against the flight roster.
BAA, which is responsible for the system, had initially hoped that it could
be fixed within a few hours. By mid-afternoon, however, it became apparent
that it would take significantly longer and BA was forced to cancel further
flights.
Those arriving at the terminal were faced with information boards displaying
the words “enquire airline” for cancelled flights, leading to 40-minute
queues at the BA customer service desk.
Tony Jones, 20, missed an interview for a place at Charles University in
Prague after his 3pm flight was cancelled. “I’m going to miss the very
reason I was going to Prague in the first place and now I’m scared that
they’ll lose my bags,” he said.
The further baggage problems make BA’s plan to move the rest of its flights to
terminal 5 by the end of the month even more unlikely. Willie Walsh, BA’s
chief executive, had intended to move the airline’s long-haul services from
terminal 4 by April 30 but is now reviewing the decision.
Last night BAA said that manual checks would continue all weekend.
A spokesman for the operator said: “Our staff will work through the night and
during Sunday to resolve the problems.”
The failure will add to growing criticism of BAA, which last week largely
escaped blame for the hundreds of cancelled flights and lost baggage. A
similar error in the “baggage reconciliation” system on the first day forced
at least seven flights to leave without baggage.
Norman Baker, the Liberal Democrat transport spokesman, said: “This is
head-in-the-sand incompetence from BA and BAA. There will be a lot of angry
passengers who have a right to expect that after the fiasco of the opening
days the problems would be fixed by now. Instead it’s yet more embarassment.”
The problems since the opening of the terminal are estimated to have cost BA
up to £16 million and 9,000 bags are still waiting to be returned to their
owners.
- A BA flight from London to San Francisco was forced to make an emergency
landing at Shannon airport, in Ireland, last night after developing a
problem with its hydraulics over the Atlantic. The 747 plane, with 347
passengers on board, managed to land safely.
Why...is this there first time of trying to run a terminal ???...sorry, it is..!!...BAA could care less...BA will suffer, and the 'line' employees will suffer....bye,bye tax dollars...ehh 'pounds'.....
Mr Tim, san marcos, U S of A /Ca