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| Airline tackles luggage mountain | Airline tackles luggage mountain |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| Thousands of items of unclaimed luggage are piled up at Heathrow Airport because of faulty equipment and poor weather, British Airways (BA) has said. | Thousands of items of unclaimed luggage are piled up at Heathrow Airport because of faulty equipment and poor weather, British Airways (BA) has said. |
| Problems began before Christmas when a faulty baggage belt at Terminal Four and cancellations caused by fog stopped 10,000 bags from being delivered. | Problems began before Christmas when a faulty baggage belt at Terminal Four and cancellations caused by fog stopped 10,000 bags from being delivered. |
| BA said many were still stacked up at Terminals One and Four and it was using freighter planes to clear the backlog. | BA said many were still stacked up at Terminals One and Four and it was using freighter planes to clear the backlog. |
| The airline said about half of the bags belonged to its passengers. | The airline said about half of the bags belonged to its passengers. |
| Second belt problem | Second belt problem |
| A spokesman explained the problem began with a faulty baggage belt at Heathrow's Terminal Four. | A spokesman explained the problem began with a faulty baggage belt at Heathrow's Terminal Four. |
| "That caused the initial backlog and about 8,000 bags were not delivered," he said. | "That caused the initial backlog and about 8,000 bags were not delivered," he said. |
| A second problem with the baggage belt on 29 December and the fog led to about 10,000 bags not being delivered. | A second problem with the baggage belt on 29 December and the fog led to about 10,000 bags not being delivered. |
| "We have put on air freighter planes to get the bags to their owners, and we have drafted in a number of volunteers to help," he said. | "We have put on air freighter planes to get the bags to their owners, and we have drafted in a number of volunteers to help," he said. |
| No attempt was being made to do anything about the situation Colin Barber Passenger fears Heathrow baggage 'chaos' | No attempt was being made to do anything about the situation Colin Barber Passenger fears Heathrow baggage 'chaos' |
| The spokesman added that the problems coincided with the introduction of new working practices for baggage handlers at Terminal One and Four. | The spokesman added that the problems coincided with the introduction of new working practices for baggage handlers at Terminal One and Four. |
| A spokeswoman from the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) said: "There's an ongoing pressure on staff which can be exacerbated by technical issues or circumstances beyond their control." | A spokeswoman from the Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) said: "There's an ongoing pressure on staff which can be exacerbated by technical issues or circumstances beyond their control." |
| It comes as the airline prepares to move its entire Heathrow operation to the new Terminal Five in March 2008. | It comes as the airline prepares to move its entire Heathrow operation to the new Terminal Five in March 2008. |
| A BA spokeswoman said it had 2,000 baggage handlers working at Terminals One and Four and working practices needed to be changed so that all were working under the same system at Terminal Five. | |
| Awaiting collection | Awaiting collection |
| She said there were differences in the way handlers were allocated work, with some receiving job sheets with all of the day's flights they would be loading or unloading, while others received work on a flight-by-flight basis. | |
| She denied reports the problems had been made worse by too few staff. | |
| Hundreds of Heathrow flights were cancelled and delayed in the week before Christmas due to the fog. | |
| At the height of the chaos, thousands of passengers were forced to wait for news of flights in temporary marquees outside Heathrow in freezing temperatures. | At the height of the chaos, thousands of passengers were forced to wait for news of flights in temporary marquees outside Heathrow in freezing temperatures. |
| HAVE YOUR SAY The only time that my luggage has ever been lost was when flying to Heathrow K B Send us your comments | HAVE YOUR SAY The only time that my luggage has ever been lost was when flying to Heathrow K B Send us your comments |
| Passenger Colin Barber wrote to the BBC News website with concerns about the piles of unattended lost luggage at the airport. | Passenger Colin Barber wrote to the BBC News website with concerns about the piles of unattended lost luggage at the airport. |
| After questioning staff about the bags he said: "No attempt was being made to do anything about the situation." | After questioning staff about the bags he said: "No attempt was being made to do anything about the situation." |
| BA said the bags, which belonged to passengers from a number of airlines, were being monitored by staff as they awaited collection by customers or courier companies. | BA said the bags, which belonged to passengers from a number of airlines, were being monitored by staff as they awaited collection by customers or courier companies. |
| In a statement the firm said it hoped to reunite passengers with their luggage within 48 hours. | In a statement the firm said it hoped to reunite passengers with their luggage within 48 hours. |
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