This archive report was first published on 7 August 2019.
British Airways has faced its third major IT system failure in less than two years, causing widespread disruption for thousands of passengers.
On Wednesday, the airline's IT systems failed, resulting in the cancellation of over 60 flights from Heathrow and Gatwick airports and delays for more than 100 flights.
The airline apologized to customers and urged them to allow extra time at airports, but many passengers were left stranded, with some experiencing issues checking in online and others stuck on planes unable to take off for hours.
Stuart Jackson, a photography business manager, was stuck on a grounded plane at Heathrow and had already missed his connecting flight, disrupting months of planning and wasting thousands of pounds.
“When I do arrive, I will have to just fly home again,” he said on Twitter. “BA is a complete catastrophe and I will never fly with them again.”
British Airways has faced similar IT system failures in the past, including a massive computer system failure in May 2017 that left 75,000 customers stranded.
Chief Executive Alex Cruz vowed after that incident that the airline would take steps to ensure that computer system failures would never happen again.
However, it appears that the airline has not yet learned from its past mistakes, and passengers are once again facing the consequences of its IT failures.
