Edinburgh flyers face lengthy delays as British Airways ground dozens of flights

Liam Buckler & Jacob Farr

18 November 2024 at 3:07 pm·2-min read

British Airways has grounded dozens of flights following a reported major IT outage that has left thousands of passengers unable to travel.

A reported IT glitch for BA has meant pilots were unable to file flight plans electronically, and had to manually call into the operations centre at Heathrow which has impacted Edinburgh Airport passengers.

Pilots were unable to file "load sheets" which are essential to aircraft safety, as they calculate the weight and distribution of cargo, fuel and passengers, The Mirror reports.

At around 5pm, passengers started to report problems and some claimed they were still waiting to take off while awaiting clearance. According to reports, there are queues building at Heathrow Terminal 5 and flights to Aberdeen, Newcastle and Edinburgh are running an hour or more late. Arrivals from Europe are being delayed by an hour or more, the Independent reported.

On X flight tracking app Flight Emergency said: "British Airways have lost all Communications to aircraft around Europe due to an IT outage, flights will be managed by Heathrow air traffic control to get inbound flights back to base."

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It is reported pilots had been trying to keep passengers informed of the latest developments, while the airline's website has been reportedly taken off. A message on the website currently says: "We are experiencing high demand on ba.com at the moment."

On social media, passengers also reported being stranded on the tarmac at Naples, Dusseldorf and Tenerife. One passenger wrote on social media: "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 nations airline? Not fit for purpose."

Another said: "British Airways appear to have had a major IT outage...again. Flight currently grounded, captain currently furious. Sass flying at about 45,000 feet as he gives fantastic passive aggressive updates. "He can't get hold of anyone for an update @British_Airways can you help?"

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Hector McNeil wrote on X: "British Airways cmon let's have some updates pls on the pc outage. Stuck in Vienna!!!!"

A Heathrow spokesperson said: "We are aware of a technical issue that British Airways are investigating and we will be working with them to provide updates to passengers as soon as they are available. Heathrow's systems are operating as normal."

British Airways has been contacted for comment.

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