british airways

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British Airways system failure strands and delays thousands of travelers

The already busy holiday weekend just got worse.

 

Sarah Weber

Tech

Posted on May 27, 2017   Updated on May 24, 2021, 12:59 pm CDT

British Airways suffered a major IT systems outage Saturday at the airline’s London hubs, causing fight cancellations and delays for thousands of travelers around the globe.

Long lines of passengers expecting to board flights at London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports raised concerns about the confusion Saturday morning as British Airways started officially canceling flights. According to NBC News, British Airways says disruptions and delays could continue throughout the already busy holiday weekend.

Even after flights were canceled, passengers complained they had to wait in line just to leave the airports.

British Airways is scrambling to sort out the problem and is offering full refunds to stranded passengers. British Airways initially canceled flights scheduled to take off from London before 6pm, but a second notice from London Hearthrow Airport extended cancelations through Saturday evening. Passengers ticketed for British Airways flights leaving London being told not to come to the airport.

https://twitter.com/British_Airways/status/868507566896271360

https://twitter.com/British_Airways/status/868507647842103296

The airline has said the IT system failure does not appear to be related to any kind of cyber attack.

H/T NBC News

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*First Published: May 27, 2017, 12:49 pm CDT