BA check-in system crash causes worldwide flight delays

BA resorts to manual processes, leading to very long queues at check-in

Passengers hoping to fly with British Airways today have faced long delays after the company's global check-in system crashed.

The problems started in the US just after midnight UK time but, as ever with delays like this, the effects were felt globally, with delayed planes ended up in the wrong place.

Customers are being advised to try to arrive as early as possible and to check-in as normal, although Heathrow and Gatwick airports have been using manual back-up systems, which is slowing down the check-in process.

The BA.com status update page was down at the time of writing, but the company acknowledged the problem in response to a customer query on Twitter.

This is in direct contradiction of BA's only official statement on the matter in which the firm said that everything is fine.

The airline, which is in the process of rolling out onboard Wi-Fi, has already had teething problems with a new check-in system and had to make apologies in July after long delays at Heathrow and Gatwick.

The system has been gradually rolled out since October 2015 which, as BA pointed out, is no mean feat with 700 flights a day.

BA is not alone in suffering from an IT systems meltdown recently.

Last month, American carrier Delta Air Lines flights were grounded around the world after a "small fire" caused the cancellation of 2,000 flights globally. Less than a month earlier, Southwest Airlines was forced to cancel a similar number of internal US flights.

BA hasn't yet said when the problem will likely be fixed.