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BA apologises after check-in systems glitch

A check-in systems glitch was causing flight delays at British Airways last night.

The airline issued an apology as passengers turned to social media to complain of delays.

Angry travellers complained of hours queuing at airports and some reported they had been told the problem was worldwide.

The airline admitted that some flights were cancelled yesterday due to “operational reasons”.

BA said in a statement: “We are checking in customers at Heathrow and Gatwick Airports this morning, although it is taking longer than usual.”

“We are sorry for the delay to their journeys.”

Passengers were encouraged to check in online before they reach the airport.

BA added: “Our IT teams are working as hard as they can to quickly fix a problem with our check-in system.

“This has affected a number of our airports. Our teams are working as hard as they can to resolve the issue.”

Airports across the US and Canada were among those reported to be affected, including Chicago O’Hare, San Francisco International, Seattle-Tacoma, Atlanta, San Diego and Toronto.

Passengers also tweeted about problems at airports in Europe, including London City, Newcastle and Vienna.

The extent of the problem was not immediately clear or the number of flights delayed.

Delta Air Lines cancelled more than 1,500 flights last month after a systems failure at its Atlanta base led to the worldwide shutdown of its computer systems.

A similar error hit Southwest Airlines in July, forcing the US carrier to cancel about 2,300 flights over four days.

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