British Airways 'flights grounded' after major IT meltdown causes chaos for 'thousands of passengers'
British Airways has been impacted by a major IT meltdown
GETTY
British Airways flights have been "grounded" following a major IT meltdown, resulting in chaos for "thousands of passengers", it has been reported.
The glitch has meant that planes are unable to take off and phone lines are down, whilst pilots have been unable to upload documents containing vital information required to fly safely.
Planes cannot be flown by pilots electronically and must now be operated manually, The Times has reported.
Queues are reportedly building at Heathrow Terminal 5 due to the problem, the outlet reports.
British Airways has been impacted by a major IT meltdownGETTYMeanwhile, the BA website is currently unable to load, with a welcome text reading: "We are experiencing high demand on ba.com at the moment. Thank you for your patience."
Disruption was first reported by passengers at around 5pm, however there was some reports of issues online prior to this.
Pilots are understood to have been informing passengers as best they can, however, crew members are as much in the dark as passengers.
'Load sheets' uploaded by pilots have been unable to be completed thanks to the issues. The documents calculate the weight and distribution of passengers, cargo and fuel.
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They are used to calculate performance and efficiency so are essential to flight safety.
One pilot on a full BA jet at Valencia which was running more than an hour behind schedule said: "Apologies for this delay folks, there is a company wide IT failure and it means we have to call in our flight plans.
"We are trying to speed things up but I don't know how long it will take.'
A statement given to GB News by BA states: "Our flights are currently operating, but are experiencing delays as our teams work to resolve a technical issue affecting some of our systems."
In a reply to a user online, BA said: "Our website is down. We are doing all we can to return online as soon as possible. Hopefully not too long before the Captain has his load sheet. Thanks for your understanding. Have a good journey when it is safe for you to be airborne."
Queues are reportedly building at Heathrow Terminal 5 due to the problem
PADisgruntled passengers have taken to social media to vent their frustrations.
One user said: "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."
One person said online: "BA 535 stuck on tarmac at Naples. Pilot hasn’t received load sheet and unable to communicate with Heathrow as internal phones are down."
Another added: "At MAN airport, minutes before boarding to LHR, they've announced the issue. Let's hope for the best."
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