At least 10,000 bags checked in by British Airways passengers have gone missing at airports since the UK security alert began, the airline says.

It said half of them were still piled up at airports waiting to be delivered back to their owners.

 

A war of words has erupted between BA and airport operator BAA over who is to blame for the misplaced luggage.

 

BA has cancelled 700 Heathrow flights since Thursday, after requirements to check in hand luggage caused delays.

 

It is considering seeking compensation from airport operator BAA.

 

'Unprecedented circumstance'

 

 

A friend of Tayib Rauf (left) released footage of him at the family business

 

BA boss Willie Walsh said BAA's management had had "no adequate plan" to deal with the emergency.

 

The airline said: "We fully apologise that customers have not been able to travel with their baggage on certain flights throughout the past five days of unprecedented circumstances at Heathrow.

 

 

"This is due to a combination of issues with the BAA's baggage systems which have all contributed to the situation."

 

The BBC's transport correspondent Tom Symonds said Heathrow's "fairly antiquated" baggage system had had to check in small items such as handbags and mobile phones that it could not easily handle.

 

Stephen Nelson, chief executive of BAA, apologised for problems with lost baggage but said it was not the time for "finger pointing", It had been an "unprecedented circumstance", he added.

 

Other airlines have not released figures for how much baggage they have to return to their passengers and will only say that their problems are not on the same scale as BA's.

 

Source - BBC News 24

 

 

Gee, what a shock...... <_<

 

 

 

 

BA announcement

 

Until further notice BA has halted all flights from the UK.

 

 

 

BA announced: "I ain't getting on no god damn plane you crazy fool!"

 

:lol:

I fully respect the authorities in this case and I agree that security should always be a priority. But I have the ask, if this investigation had been going on for months and agents had known about it for weeks and were simply watching things unfold, waiting for the right time to launch the sting operation... WHY THE HELL did all this MAYHEM suddenly become necessary?? Why were flights instantly canceled, why were harsh security measures immediately established?? Investigators believed the suspects were "within days" of a "test run." I fully understand the scope of the operation but why did it become such a sudden and overwhelming threat within a single day? The BAA sounds every bit as rash and incompetent as the FAA here. Canceling all flights because of a terror plot, weeks away from fruition and having been monitered by security officials for months, just doesn't make sense.

I fully respect the authorities in this case and I agree that security should always be a priority. But I have the ask, if this investigation had been going on for months and agents had known about it for weeks and were simply watching things unfold, waiting for the right time to launch the sting operation... WHY THE HELL did all this MAYHEM suddenly become necessary?? Why were flights instantly canceled, why were harsh security measures immediately established?? Investigators believed the suspects were "within days" of a "test run." I fully understand the scope of the operation but why did it become such a sudden and overwhelming threat within a single day? The BAA sounds every bit as rash and incompetent as the FAA here. Canceling all flights because of a terror plot, weeks away from fruition and having been monitered by security officials for months, just doesn't make sense.

 

Exactly, these people were KNOWN, they were under surveillance and they were ARRESTED before they even did a 'dry run'. I'm beginning to suspect that all this mayhem at the airports was caused purely to get us all scared and paranoid and make the Govt look good because they are 'appearing' to actually be doing something. When we're all a bit scared, it makes it easier for the Govt to control us....

 

Exactly, these people were KNOWN, they were under surveillance and they were ARRESTED before they even did a 'dry run'. I'm beginning to suspect that all this mayhem at the airports was caused purely to get us all scared and paranoid and make the Govt look good because they are 'appearing' to actually be doing something. When we're all a bit scared, it makes it easier for the Govt to control us....

 

Spot on

 

Maybe Ryan Air's vision of the future of air travel will come true :rolleyes: http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/notices.php...e=060822-ASP-EN

Spot on

 

Maybe Ryan Air's vision of the future of air travel will come true :rolleyes: http://www.ryanair.com/site/EN/notices.php...e=060822-ASP-EN

 

:lol: :lol:

 

I wouldn't be at all surprised to be honest mate..... :lol: