Chaos at Heathrow as glitch in new British Airways IT system causes huge queues and severe delays

British Airways passengers faced delays and massive queues at Heathrow today due to ongoing problems with its new check-in system.

Lines of angry holidaymakers snaked through the airport as staff struggled to cope with the effects of the IT glitch.

The delays were particularly severe for first class and business class customers, who faced huge lines.

Passengers took to Twitter and slammed the "shambles", claiming fellow passengers had missed flights because the bag check in queue was so long.

Kate Philpot wrote: "Another queue. Today at T5. Why install a new baggage handling system in peak summer season?"

The problems caused by the IT glitch were made worse by the fact many private and Scottish schools have already started their holidays.

A BA insider contacted The Sun Online and told us the issues are so severe that people have ended up being turned away from flights, even though they arrived on time.

"It's going to be a summer of holiday chaos," they said.

"The system isn't robust enough for an airport like Heathrow.

"It's a nightmare."

The BA insider said the IT system has been crashing "all the time" since it was introduced earlier this year.

This system is understood to govern almost every aspect of checking in, ranging from baggage handling to the checking of visas and passports.

Furious staff are often met with a "doughnut of doom" error message when they try to perform simple tasks.

Queues then build up as they struggle to fix the issue.

Do you know the couple who missed their wedding flight? Get in touch with jasper.hamill@the-sun.co.uk

The source claimed a couple were recently turned away from a flight to their own wedding, which was due to take place in Japan.

They also alleged that people have been told there were not enough seats on their flights because the booking system had failed to allocate space properly.

BA staff are understood to be stressed and upset at the difficulties, with some seen crying on the way to work.

"We feel vulnerable and distressed," the source said.

"There are people in tears every day. It's shocking."

In a statement, a British Airways spokeswoman said: "We are sorry for the disruption to customers' travel plans due to an IT glitch at Heathrow on what was already a very busy morning.

"The issue was resolved as quickly as possible, and all of our flights left as normal.

"Ten million passengers have already used our new check-in system as we introduce it around the world."

Last month, another glitch in the BA system caused chaos at Gatwick and Heathrow.

The system is used at airports around the world, although the problems are more pronounced in Heathrow due to the volume of passengers.