Baggage chaos at Heathrow
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British Airways has admitted that 15,000 bags are lost or stuck at London Heathrow airport’s new terminal, adding to the frustrations of passengers already hit by severe delays and cancelled flights, AFP reported.
“We have got 400 extra staff in today volunteering to get the bags moved. There are still around 15,000 bags to move,” a spokeswoman was quoted saying by Reuters.
“We are working around the clock to get them back to their owners.”
BA cancelled 66 short-haul and European flights on Saturday and 37 were expected to have been cancelled on Sunday.
According to AFP, the baggage chaos was the latest embarrassment for BA, which has exclusive use of the US8.7 billion terminal that was opened to great fanfare by Queen Elizabeth II earlier this month.
Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly was quoted saying that she had held talks with the airline and airport operator BAA and was prepared to step in if it became necessary.
Reuters said BA Chief Executive Willie Walsh had apologised for the disruption and admitted the move to the terminal was “definitely not our finest hour”.
It added that the airline faced a sizeable compensation bill for passengers delayed and forced to stay overnight in hotels.
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