British Airways flight cancellations increase following IT outage

Close-up of a BA Euroflyer aircraft parked on the ramp.
Photo Credit: British Airways
Len Varley - Assistant Editor 3 Min Read
3 Min Read

British Airways has now cancelled over 150 flights as a result of an IT collapse which crippled their system yesterday, Thursday May 25.

Friday morning has seen the cancellation of approximately 36 inbound flights, as the UK heads into a long bank holiday weekend.

According to The Independent, at least 156 flights, which mainly comprise domestic and European services, have been cancelled up until this morning May 26, as the national flag carrier struggles to operate without its essential systems.

A further 14 flights were delayed overnight as a result.

May 25 outage


British Airways initially experienced the IT collapse on May 25, which caused widespread delays and cancellations at Heathrow Airport.

The airline said that the issue was caused by a power outage at one of its data centers. As a result, check-in, boarding, and baggage handling were all affected.

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In total, British Airways canceled 110 flights from Heathrow on Thursday May 25. The airline also said that it would be offering refunds and rebookings to affected passengers.

The IT collapse caused significant disruption to passengers at Heathrow Airport yesterday. Many people were forced to wait for hours in long lines to check in and board their flights. Some passengers were also reportedly denied boarding altogether.

The IT collapse is the latest in a series of problems for British Airways. In 2017, the airline experienced a major IT meltdown that caused the cancellation of hundreds of flights.

British Airways has said that it is investigating the cause of the IT collapse and that it is taking steps to prevent it from happening again.

Bank holiday weekend


With the UK heading into an extended bank holiday weekend, many flights were fully booked prior to the weekend. It is estimated that the number of passengers affected by the subsequent delays and cancellations will likely top 25,000.

The airline has also apologized to passengers for the disruption. “We are very sorry for the disruption caused by our IT systems,” said a British Airways spokesperson.

“We are doing everything we can to get passengers to their destinations as quickly as possible,” the spokesperson said.

The IT collapse is a reminder of the importance of having a backup plan in case of flight cancellations or delays. Passengers should always check the status of their flight before they go to the airport and be prepared to wait in long lines. They should also be patient and understanding with airport staff.

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