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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Baggage halted at new £4.3bn T5 | Baggage halted at new £4.3bn T5 |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Flights from Heathrow's new £4.3bn Terminal 5 are departing with hand baggage only after luggage check-in was suspended due to technical problems. | Flights from Heathrow's new £4.3bn Terminal 5 are departing with hand baggage only after luggage check-in was suspended due to technical problems. |
| British Airways, which has sole use of T5, announced check-in of all hold luggage was suspended until Friday. | |
| The airline has already cancelled 34 flights because of baggage system problems and passengers have had to wait up to four hours for luggage. | |
| BA said it "sincerely" apologised to all those customers affected. | BA said it "sincerely" apologised to all those customers affected. |
| 'Refunds' | |
| Announcing the suspension of baggage check-in, Gareth Kirkwood, BA's director of operations, said: "We sincerely apologise to those customers who have suffered disrupted journeys or baggage delays. | Announcing the suspension of baggage check-in, Gareth Kirkwood, BA's director of operations, said: "We sincerely apologise to those customers who have suffered disrupted journeys or baggage delays. |
| "We always knew the first day would represent a unique challenge because of the size and complexity of the move into Terminal 5. We are working extremely hard on solutions to these short term difficulties." | "We always knew the first day would represent a unique challenge because of the size and complexity of the move into Terminal 5. We are working extremely hard on solutions to these short term difficulties." |
| The airline is advising passengers to check in with hand baggage only if they wish to travel later, or to telephone BA if they want a refund or to rebook a flight. | The airline is advising passengers to check in with hand baggage only if they wish to travel later, or to telephone BA if they want a refund or to rebook a flight. |
| The computer cannot cope with the number of bags going through Baggage worker | |
| Airport operator BAA earlier said the suspension of baggage check-in had been due to problems with a luggage belt, which had stopped working. | |
| One baggage worker told the BBC the situation was "mayhem" and that the technical problems had been known about for some time. | |
| "They have been doing tests on the belt system for the last few weeks and knew it wasn't going right. The computer cannot cope with the number of bags going through." | |
| The suspension of luggage check-in was just the latest problem to hit passengers hoping to leave T5 on its opening day. | |
| No luggage | |
| BA earlier announced "initial teething problems" with car parking provision, delays in staff security screening and staff familiarisation had resulted in a backlog of baggage. | |
| BA TERMINAL CHANGES 27 March: Domestic and most European flights move from Terminal 1 to T527 March: Long-haul flights from Terminal 1 move to T527 March: Miami service moves from Terminal 3 to T530 March: Algiers moves from Gatwick to T530 April: All Terminal 4 long-haul go to T5 (except Singapore, Bangkok and Sydney)17 Sept: Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon, Nice and Helsinki move from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3Early 2009: Singapore, Bangkok and Sydney move from Terminal 4 to Terminal 3 Source: BA Heathrow upheaval | |
| This led the airline to cancel a number of flights in and out of the terminal, including services to Munich, Frankfurt, Paris and Brussels as well as Glasgow and Aberdeen. | |
| A further technical fault also meant seven flights left T5 without luggage on board. | |
| Passengers arriving at the terminal have reported waiting up to four hours to be reunited with their bags. | |
| In a statement, the Department for Transport said it expected BA and airport operator BAA "to work hard to resolve these issues and limit disruption to passengers". | |
| Earlier, hundreds of protesters - wearing Stop Airport Expansion T-shirts and opposed to plans for a third runway and sixth terminal at Heathrow - carried out a peaceful protest at the terminal. | |
| BA has set up an information line for T5 passengers: 0800 727800 |