British Airways systems crash for a SEVENTH time in a year causing ‘absolute chaos’ for holidaymakers at Heathrow, Gatwick and London City airports and huge queues
The technical issue sparked queues and delays at three UK airports this morning
HOLIDAYMAKERS suffered fresh misery yesterday as British Airways’ IT systems crashed for the seventh time in just over a year.
Furious passengers faced queues of up to two-and-a-half hours to check-in for flights.
The scenes at Heathrow and Gatwick mirrored those in airports across Europe — where Brits faced huge delays after EU officials drafted in tougher passport controls.
And the nightmare is set to get even worse this weekend and throughout the summer as record number of Brits prepare to fly off on their holidays.
The Sun’s travel editor Lisa Minot said: “What with the BA chaos, a peak weekend coming up for summer travel, and the EU security checks, it’s the perfect storm.”
In addition, passengers have been disrupted by industrial action in Barcelona and Lisbon and a baggage handler strike in Milan.
The BA chaos meant passengers could not print off boarding passes and had to be manually checked in.
Some waited in queues eight rows deep while flights to destinations across Europe were delayed.
Later BA said the systems crash — the seventh since it introduced a new check-in system 14 months ago — had been resolved.
But it sparked fears the carrier could be hit by yet more glitches.
Foster carer Pip Davis, 58, of New Malden, South West London, told how her flight to Dublin was delayed by more than an hour.
She said: “It was sheer panic. People didn’t know what they were doing and the staff were trying their best but they knew it was a mess.
“Staff were having to manually check people in, then the baggage machines started to break down — everyone was getting stressed out.”
Under-staffed European airports are struggling to handle the new passport rules for tourists from outside the EU’s Schengen free movement area.
Countries outside include Britain and Ireland.
The tighter controls were introduced in the wake of the European terror attacks.
More than two million Brits are expected to travel abroad this weekend with 85 per cent going to the Schengen area.
Passengers have described “absolute carnage” and “madness” at airports, with many missing flights or facing huge delays.
The worst-affected has been Palma in Majorca where two-hour delays are again expected this weekend as nearly 500,000 travellers pass through the airport.
Expat Shirley Ballard was held up for almost an hour at Nice airport in France over stringent passport checks.
The 86-year-old, who is visiting her daughter in the UK, arrived at Heathrow Terminal 5 from a BA flight yesterday afternoon.
She said: “It was very slow going through Nice. Normally it's very quick and I walk straight past.
“But this time it was constant queues, queues, queues.”
Q&A
What new checks are being done?
Every passenger’s passport is now electronically compared against several crime databases as they leave and enter the Schengen zone.
What is the Schengen Area?
A frontier-free zone including most EU countries plus Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, but excluding the UK and Ireland.
Why were the new rules brought in?
To help fight against terrorism and “the phenomenon of foreign terrorist fighters, many of whom are EU citizens”.
Why has it only started causing problems now?
The rules have been in place since April 7 but now is the height of the holiday season with millions of Brits travelling to Europe.
How much longer are airport passenger waiting times expected to be?
It has gone from a couple of minutes to what could be an hour or more at busy times.
Will airlines wait for passengers who are held up in queues?
In some circumstances but travellers are being warned to get to the airport with plenty of time to spare.
Do I get compensation if I miss my flight home?
No, you will have to pay for new tickets for another.
What can be done to solve the problem?
Airports are being lobbied to apply for a “light touch approach” — waving passengers through when it’s busy.
Simon Fletcher, 39, of Forest Hill, South London, flew back from Paris Orly to Heathrow on business, but was delayed for nearly two hours before he could board his flight.
He said: “There were no extra staff on.”
Airlines yesterday called on the Government to urge EU states to adequately staff border controls.
Trade body Airlines UK said it had warned the Department for Transport about the issue in May but they were told by ministers the problem had eased.
Senior ministers accused Brussels of “flexing its muscles” over Brexit by ruining Brits holidays with a botched passport clampdown.
One said the EU was throwing up the tougher barriers as “a gentle reminder of what it could be like” after the UK leaves the bloc.
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The Government said it understood passengers’ anger and called counterparts in Portugal, Spain and Italy to urge them to take measures.
Transport chiefs insisted incompetence was to blame rather than a Brexit conspiracy.
But some senior Tories said that genuine concerns about returning IS fighters and surges in migration had been known about for weeks.
One minister told The Sun: “There are serious issues around a surge in returning fighters after the collapse of Raqqa and the summer spike in Mediterranean, but I fear there is a bit more to this.”
A European Commission spokeswoman said: "We cannot have on the one hand a joint request from member states to have more checks and controls, to increase security, and at the same time have complaints about longer waiting periods. One is the price for the other.”
Airlines for Europe, a representative for carriers including BA, said flight delays were up 300 per cent compared with last year because of the tighter passport controls.
Airport officials in Italy said they expect more than 420,000 passengers through the country’s two main airports this weekend — many of them from Britain.
A spokesman said they had introduced 32 electronic gates to help speed visitors though.
Sun Travel Editor Lisa Minot advised travellers to keep their mobiles fully charged to check for the most up-to-date information.
She said: “Tourists caught up in the fires in France recently found the only reliable source of information was their phones.
“Also keep your travel company’s number stored in your phone in case you need it.”
— HOTELS in Magaluf are drawing up a blacklist of guests who will be banned from staying in Majorca because of rowdy behaviour.
It is part of a campaign to hit back at “anything goes” drunken tourism blighting the island.
Left-wing Spanish anti-tourism protesters have targeted the island and staged a demo in Palma.
Are you caught up in the delays? Call The Sun's news desk on 0207 782 4100 or email us at [email protected]