LONDON, March 29: British Airways said on Saturday that it was cancelling flights to and from London Heathrow airport’s new Terminal 5 for a third day running because of logistical problems.

The airline said it was operating 281 out of 347 scheduled flights to and from Heathrow Terminal 5 on Saturday, 12 fewer than originally announced.

“All longhaul flights from Terminal 5 will operate as planned,” it added in a statement. BA said that it expected 37 flights to be cancelled on Sunday.

Hundreds of flights have been hit since the $8.7 billion terminal opened on Thursday, delaying passengers and leaving many others without their luggage.

“We are extremely hacked off and frustrated,” said Neil Mackay, a passenger from North Wales who was at the new terminal on Saturday.

BA, which has sole use of the terminal, has blamed the problems on “a combination of factors”, including delays at the staff car park and computer glitches which have plagued the baggage sorting system.

“We are hoping things are going to steadily recover,” a BA spokeswoman said on Saturday. She added that flights not cancelled were experiencing delays of up to 40 minutes.

Terminal 5 is the first new addition for 20 years to Heathrow, one of the world’s busiest airports, situated to the west of London.

Opened by Queen Elizabeth II earlier this month amid great fanfare, it descended into chaos on Thursday.

Long queues built up and some passengers flying into the terminal had to wait so long to be reunited with their luggage that they gave up and asked for their bags to be sent on. British newspapers reported that scuffles occurred among staff and passengers.

BA chief executive Willie Walsh apologised to passengers in a statement released on Friday.A technical support specialist said on Saturday that the terminal was also experiencing problems with lifts and telephones, but stressed that Heathrow operator BAA was responsible for these glitches.—AFP