Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Hot on Facebook
Guy Buys $123 Safe on eBay, Finds $26,000 Inside Seller tries to get half the cash back, fails »

Chaos Continues at Heathrow

Hundreds of volunteer staffers work to sort out baggage crisis

By Peter Fearon,  Newser Staff

Posted Mar 31, 2008 3:33 AM CDT
Email

(Newser) – Hundreds of volunteer British Airways staffers spent their day off yesterday helping to return some of the 15,000 pieces of luggage lost when the state-of-the-art baggage system failed at the airline's new terminal at London's Heathrow airport last week. Scores of tech specialists have also been deployed to fix the computer problems, the Guardian reports.

Hundreds of flights were canceled last week, and at least 100 more will be canceled today and tomorrow. "We are making every effort to reunite delayed bags with their owners," said the British Airways chief. The new terminal is designed to handle 70,000 passengers a day, but currently can't process even a reduced schedule of 40,000 travelers.

Passengers wait for their flight inside the new T5 building at Heathrow Airport Sunday. British Airways canceled 37 Sunday, bringing the total number of cancellations since the terminal opened Thursday to 245.
Passengers wait for their flight inside the new T5 building at Heathrow Airport Sunday. British Airways canceled 37 Sunday, bringing the total number of cancellations since the terminal opened Thursday...   (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)
Passengers line up at check-in counters at Heathrow's new Terminal 5. Chaos and canceled flights marred the first days of operation.
Passengers line up at check-in counters at Heathrow's new Terminal 5. Chaos and canceled flights marred the first days of operation.   (Getty Images)
Information screens at Terminal Five in Heathrow show canceled flight after canceled flight.
Information screens at Terminal Five in Heathrow show canceled flight after canceled flight.   (Getty Images)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Be the first to comment on this story.

Heathrow chaos could last all week
Telegraph (UK)

How short-haul to Terminal 5 became a very long haul
Times (UK)

Delta, US rivals target Heathrow amid Open Skies
Bloomberg

Money • World

 
luggage • British Airways • Alitalia • Heathrow Airport • flight cancellation • T5 • IT • baggage handling • soft launch • Air France • stranded passengers • Open Skies Agreement • chaos • Terminal 5

More Newser Stories

Heathrow Mess Will Ripple Well Into Weekend

Breakdown Snarls New Heathrow Terminal
NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne