British Airways Flights Resume Following IT Issues

7 August 2019, 16:18 | Updated: 7 August 2019, 20:19

The British Airways IT system is down
The British Airways IT system is down. Picture: PA

British Airways has warned of "knock-on" disruption to its schedule after an IT glitch forced flights to be cancelled in and out of London airports.

It's thought more than 20,000 passengers were affected after an IT glitch impacted on check in desks.

A BA spokesperson said: "We apologise to all our customers caught up in the disruption, and appreciate how frustrating their experience has been.

Our teams have been working tirelessly to get the vast majority of customers on their way, with most of our flights departing.

Our flights are returning to normal, however there may be some knock-on operational disruption as a result of the issue earlier."

Earlier British Airways has cancelled 81 flights due to operate to or from Heathrow while 10 Gatwick flights were cancelled.

More than 200 other flights were delayed, with some more than five hours behind schedule.

BA is advising passengers to allow for extra time when they arrive at the airport due to system problems.

It's affecting both check-in and flight departures and the airline said it's had to revert to manual systems for check in at airports.

On its website, British Airways is offering customers booked on short-haul services departing from Heathrow, Gatwick and London City today, the opportunity to rebook to another day.

The airline advises customers to check their flight status before they travel.

The BA website shows many flights are experiencing delays with their departure
The BA website shows many flights are experiencing delays with their departure. Picture: British Airways