A significant IT system failure at London Heathrow Airport plunged Terminals 2 and 3 into chaos on Wednesday, leaving hundreds of frustrated passengers stranded and facing massive delays.
The technical meltdown, which crippled vital check-in and boarding systems, primarily affected travellers on flights operated by Brussels Airlines and other carriers bound for European destinations like Brussels and Berlin.
Scene of Frustration and Long Queues
Social media was quickly flooded with images and videos from passengers depicting enormous snaking queues and crowded departure halls. Travellers reported being unable to check in or drop bags, with many expressing concerns over missing their flights and connecting journeys.
One affected passenger described the scene as "absolute chaos," with little to no information being provided by ground staff who were themselves struggling with the outdated manual processes.
Manual Processing Slows Operations to a Crawl
With the digital systems offline, airline and airport staff were forced to revert to time-consuming manual check-in procedures. This drastic slowdown brought operations to a near standstill, exacerbating delays and creating a backlog of passengers.
"The staff are doing their best with paper and pens, but it's incredibly slow," remarked another stranded individual. "It feels like we've gone back in time 30 years."
Airline Responses and Passenger Advice
Brussels Airlines confirmed the technical issue was impacting their operations and advised all passengers to consistently check their website and app for the latest flight status updates before heading to the airport.
While the root cause of the IT failure was not immediately disclosed, such incidents highlight the vulnerability of modern air travel to technical gremlins and the widespread disruption a single point of failure can cause for one of the world's busiest international hubs.
