British Airways has been hit by an IT outage which is reportedly causing huge queues at Heathrow.
The airlines website appeared to have gone down shortly after 6pm when problem reports surged on Downdetector.
As well as taking down the customer website, the IT system meltdown meant planes were unable to take off, phone lines were down and pilots were left in the dark, The Times reports citing a source.
Queues were reportedly building at Heathrow Terminal 5 due to the problem, the outlet reports.
One BA passenger said they have been forced to wait on the tarmac at Verona airport (Picture: X/Sockmonkey1971)British Airways confirmed it is experiencing a technical issue affecting some of our systems.
The BA website was unable to load, with a welcome text saying earlier We are experiencing high demand on ba.com at the moment. Thank you for your patience.
The website appears to have since been restored.
Frustrated passengers took to social media to vent their anger after the glitch.
Comment nowHave you been affected? Please email webnews@metro.co.uk or comment below. Comment NowOne BA passenger in Italy claimed an entire plane full of people is being made to stand on the tarmac in a very cold Verona waiting for an already delayed flight.
Alex Wedderburn also said he had been stuck at Verona airport waiting to board flight BA2591.
He wrote: Everyone here has just run the Verona marathon and is exhausted and frustrated. Do you think this acceptable? Please find a solution asap!
Metro understands that BA flights at other European airports have been delayed too, including at Naples.
Passengers flocked to contact the airline on social media, asking what waswrong with British Airways website and app, with some saying they couldnt check-in.
A British Airways spokesperson told Metro: Our flights are currently operating, but are experiencing delays as our teams work to resolve a technical issue affecting some of our systems.
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.
Heathrows systems are operating as normal.
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