Flights were affected by the issue on Thursday, but there will likely be additional delays today as schedules recover.
British Airways has reported that its IT systems are “back up and running” following hours of chaos that resulted in the cancellation of dozens of flights; however, “intermittent issues” may persist.
On Thursday, the airline canceled more than 50 departures and more than 20 arrivals, and some Friday passengers were also notified of delays and cancellations.
BA announced on Twitter just before 11.30 p.m. that its systems were “back online,” but that “intermittent issues may still exist.”
Earlier, it had stated, “We are aware of a technical issue and are working diligently to resolve it,” a statement it repeated in response to inquiries in the early hours of Friday.
A Heathrow Airport spokesperson stated that the cancellations are unrelated to a three-day strike by airport security officers overpaying.
Sorina Anastasiu, a 33-year-old recruiter residing in London, was scheduled to marry in her native Romania in June, but she will miss the ceremony.
She flew home to get a marriage licence 14 days before the ceremony, as required by law.
She stated, “You must complete these documents 14 days in advance, and I cannot do that now. So I’ve essentially missed my wedding. Earlier, I had a bit of a crisis about it.”
“Today has been extremely, extremely difficult. Since I’ve been here since three o’clock, five hours have passed. I was scheduled to fly to Romania to finalize documentation for my upcoming wedding.
“We had an engagement tomorrow. Now I am unable to book a flight until Saturday. Worst of all, they requested me to check my ceremony attire-filled carry-on suitcase after I checked in.
She added, “No one can retrieve their checked luggage, and there is no assistance.” The baggage crew can only be reached via the arrivals’ ‘luggage enquiries’ number.
“I only have my phone and wallet on me. It is extremely irritating”.
It’s conducted very poorly. I mean, my predicament is not a matter of life and death, but there are elderly people here who barely speak English…There are individuals with medications in their luggage who are unable to access them.
The staff says they’ll reimburse us for hotels. But individuals have nothing on them – no clothes, no belongings – so they refuse to leave. It’s heartbreaking to see these individuals struggling alone in the airport.”
