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28,000 bags yet to be returned to Terminal 5 customers

31/03/2008

More than 28,000 bags are yet to be returned to customers following a disastrous start to operations at Heathrow airport's Terminal 5, it has been revealed.

Aviation minister Jim Fitzpatrick told MPs it would take a week to reunite passengers with their luggage.

British Airways, which has exclusive use of T5, cancelled 54 flights on Monday, with a similar number being struck off on Tuesday, adding to the hundreds of flights already scrapped.

Its chief executive Willie Walsh has already apologised to affected customers.

At the weekend 400 volunteers were drafted in to help clear the backlog of luggage after the terminal's system became "clogged".

Mr Fitzpatrick said customers at the £4.3 billion terminal, which was opened by the Queen last week, had endured an "unacceptably poor experience".

"Delivery so far has fallen well short of expectation," the minister continued.

BA shares were down 2.4 per cent in London trading on Monday; down to half of their value compared to early last year.

Commenting on the disruption at T5, shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers said: "Both BA and BAA have let their customers down badly."

The baggage problems have also provoked an unofficial reaction from European governments.

Writing on his Foreign Office blog, David Miliband said an unidentified EU foreign minister had "fallen victim" to T5.

"He arrived merely to transit, but his bags are nowhere to be seen and it was whispered that it might take weeks," the UK foreign secretary wrote.

"He asked me to pass on a message to BA/BAA: 'for goodness sake get your act together'."