Heathrow T5 Opening `Chaotic' as Flights Are Canceled (Update3)

By Tracy Alloway and Clementine Fletcher

March 27 (Bloomberg) -- London Heathrow airport's 4.3 billion-pound ($8.6 billion) fifth terminal canceled flights after the baggage system broke down on the first day of operations, prompting passengers to brand the opening ``chaotic.''

As many as 68 inbound and outbound flights were scrapped by British Airways Plc, the terminal's sole occupant. Baggage check- in was halted while Heathrow owner BAA Ltd. worked to resolve ``operational issues'' and the airline said in a statement passengers should fly with hand luggage only, rebook for another day or claim a refund.

British Airways is counting on Terminal 5 to ease journeys and retain passengers disillusioned with Heathrow's overcrowding. The London-based airline has Europe's worst record for lost luggage and is second-worst for delayed bags, according to the Air Transport Users Council. Passengers flying in to Terminal 5 today had their suitcases delayed by the unspecified technical glitch and seven flights departed without any luggage at all before baggage check-in was suspended, according to the carrier.

``It was chaotic but everyone was really friendly and we got given free water,'' said Andrea Kienberger, a bank auditor who flew in from Vienna and whose baggage was delayed for an hour. ``I was afraid it would be chaos. We were right!''

What British Airways described as ``teething problems'' also included car-parking provisions, delays in employee security screening and staff familiarization issues. The difficulties had a knock-on effect on the operations, airline spokesman Denny MacGee said. Europe's third-largest carrier decided to scrap flights to catch up with its schedule.

``Flights at Terminal 5 will depart with hand baggage only for the remainder of the day,'' British Airways Operations Director Gareth Kirkwood said in a statement to journalists at the airport at about 6:30 p.m.

Baggage Conveyors

Terminal 5 boasts 60 aircraft stands and 17 kilometers (10.6 miles) of baggage conveyors in a system designed to handle as many as 12,000 bags an hour. Over 400,000 man-hours went into developing the system's software, thought to be behind today's breakdown, which has the ability to prioritize late bags.

British Airways has blamed operational difficulties and space constraints at Heathrow for its poor baggage record. Before today the airport was handling 68 million passengers in buildings meant for 45 million, giving it the worst delay record in Europe, according to the Association of European Airlines.

Terminal 5, which took almost two decades to plan and erect, received its first flight, from Hong Kong, at about 4:50 a.m. British Airways earlier spent five hours moving more than 1,000 aircraft, vehicles and pieces of equipment to the terminal, which will be able to handle 30 million people a year.

Elevators Closed

Some elevators in the building were not working today and glass still had protective tape. Environmental groups who oppose aviation expansion staged a protest at the new building at 11 a.m., donning red T-shirts with the slogan ``Stop Airport Expansion,'' causing further confusion.

``I'm not impressed,'' said Gaynor Rumble, a retiree from West Drayton, as she waited for a friend in the arrivals lounge. ``It's cold, it looks unfinished. This is supposed to be the London airport, couldn't they come up with something better?''

Traveler Lynn Soane, surveying the terminal's glass façade, disagreed. ``It seems very clean and efficient,'' she said. ``They've got the momentum today but they've got to keep it moving forward.''

More than 400,000 passengers were scheduled to pass through Terminal 5 today on 380 flights, about 350 of them short-haul and domestic services. British Airways will move more long-haul operations to the building overnight on April 30.

`Calmer Experience'

``For our customers, T5 is going to make a huge difference,'' Willie Walsh, the London-based airline's chief executive officer, said today in a Bloomberg Television interview. ``It's a much calmer experience.''

Passengers who've checked in online should be able to enter the terminal, drop off their bags and clear security in no more than 10 minutes, British Airways Director of Customer Services David Noyes has said. The building has 96 self-check-in kiosks, 54 traditional check-in desks and 90 self-drop baggage depots.

``It's quite a different philosophy, there are relatively few old-fashioned check-ins,'' said Chris Soane, who was traveling with his wife Lynn, from Reading, England, to Miami for a week-long vacation. ``It seems neat and tidy but I remember thinking the same when Terminal 4 opened.''

Military Strip

Terminal 4, the last concourse built at Heathrow, opened in 1986. Heathrow itself started out as a military landing strip and was opened for public use in 1946. Terminal 5 will allow BAA the extra space needed to renovate the rest of the airport's terminals as well, according to the company.

Stricter restrictions for travelers have been introduced, with British Airways requiring passengers to check-in 45 minutes prior to flying and get to security checkpoints 35 minutes beforehand. The airline has temporarily increased the minimum time needed to transfer to connecting flights to provide flexibility while 54 carriers shift around the terminals.

``There will be a bedding-down period, but we are confident that this building is operationally ready,'' British Airways's Noyes said on March 13.

To contact the reporters on this story: Tracy Alloway in London at talloway@bloomberg.net; Clementine Fletcher at Heathrow on cfletcher5@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: March 27, 2008 18:51 EDT

		Email this article Printer friendly format