A major IT failure has caused chaos for British Airways (BA), grounding dozens of flights and leaving thousands of passengers stranded across Europe. The widespread disruption has impacted flight operations, leaving passengers frustrated and pilots unable to file flight plans electronically.
Major Delays and Frustrated Passengers
The issue reportedly began around 5pm on Monday, with reports of delays surfacing earlier in the day. Passengers stuck at airports, including Naples, Düsseldorf, Verona, and Tenerife, shared their frustrations online. Hundreds were seen waiting in cold conditions outside planes, with limited communication from BA staff.
One passenger who was stranded at Tenerife said:
“British Airways, can you explain why you have hundreds of people waiting outside, in the cold, on the runway, with no communication? Everyone here has just run the Verona marathon and is exhausted and frustrated. Please find a solution asap!”
Critical System Failures
Pilots were forced to manually call BA’s operations centre at Heathrow to file essential flight plans and load sheets—documents critical for calculating the weight distribution and performance of the aircraft. The IT issue has also taken down BA’s website, preventing passengers from accessing services like online check-in.
A BA pilot at Valencia airport apologized to passengers, saying:
“Apologies for this delay, folks. There is a company-wide IT failure, and it means we have to call in our flight plans. We’re trying to speed things up, but I don’t know how long it will take.”
BA and Air Traffic Control Respond
Flight tracking app Flight Emergency reported that BA had lost all communications with aircraft around Europe. Heathrow air traffic control has stepped in to manage inbound flights. BA technicians at the airline’s headquarters are working to resolve the problem, though it remains unclear if the issue is due to a cyberattack or a technical malfunction.
Passenger Reactions
Frustrated passengers took to social media, describing the chaos:
- “Absolute shambles. Three flights cancelled this month, and now being made to stand on the tarmac in a very cold Verona waiting for an already delayed flight.
- “What has happened to the nation’s airline? Not fit for purpose.”
Similar Past Disruptions
This incident follows a similar IT outage in July 2023 that caused widespread disruption across the airline industry. However, this latest issue appears to be isolated to British Airways.
BA Statement Pending
British Airways has not yet released an official statement about the cause of the disruption. Passengers are advised to check for updates on BA’s social media channels and prepare for significant delays.
This is a developing story, and further updates will be provided as information becomes available.
