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| Airline tackles luggage mountain | Airline tackles luggage mountain |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| Thousands of items of unclaimed luggage are piled up at Heathrow Airport because of faulty equipment and poor weather, British Airways (BA) has said. | |
| BA said problems with the baggage belt at Terminal Four and cancellations caused by fog had led to 10,000 bags not being delivered to passengers. | BA said problems with the baggage belt at Terminal Four and cancellations caused by fog had led to 10,000 bags not being delivered to passengers. |
| Many are still stacked up at Terminals One and Four, and BA is using freighter planes to clear the backlog. | Many are still stacked up at Terminals One and Four, and BA is using freighter planes to clear the backlog. |
| BA said about half of the bags belonged to its passengers. | BA said about half of the bags belonged to its passengers. |
| Second belt problem | Second belt problem |
| A spokesman said: "The problem began before Christmas when there was a fault with a baggage belt at Heathrow Terminal 4. | A spokesman said: "The problem began before Christmas when there was a fault with a baggage belt at Heathrow Terminal 4. |
| "That caused the initial backlog, and about 8,000 bags were not delivered." | "That caused the initial backlog, and about 8,000 bags were not delivered." |
| He said a second problem with the baggage belt and the fog led to about 10,000 bags not being delivered. | He said a second problem with the baggage belt and the fog led to about 10,000 bags not being delivered. |
| "We have put on air freighter planes to get the bags to their owners, and we have drafted in a number of volunteers to help," he said. | "We have put on air freighter planes to get the bags to their owners, and we have drafted in a number of volunteers to help," he said. |
| Awaiting collection | Awaiting collection |
| Hundreds of Heathrow flights were cancelled and delayed in the week before Christmas due to the fog. | Hundreds of Heathrow flights were cancelled and delayed in the week before Christmas due to the fog. |
| At the height of the chaos, thousands of passengers were forced to wait for news of flights in temporary marquees outside Heathrow in freezing temperatures. | At the height of the chaos, thousands of passengers were forced to wait for news of flights in temporary marquees outside Heathrow in freezing temperatures. |
| BA said the bags, which belonged to passengers from a number of airlines, were awaiting collection by customers or courier companies. | BA said the bags, which belonged to passengers from a number of airlines, were awaiting collection by customers or courier companies. |
| A BA spokesman said: "Delays have been experienced as a result of a series of impacts on the baggage operations at Heathrow following a combination of events largely beyond our control." | A BA spokesman said: "Delays have been experienced as a result of a series of impacts on the baggage operations at Heathrow following a combination of events largely beyond our control." |
| It added that luggage belonging to its passengers would be sent out to passengers' homes in the next three days. | It added that luggage belonging to its passengers would be sent out to passengers' homes in the next three days. |
| Have you lost your baggage? You can send us your experiences using the form below: | Have you lost your baggage? You can send us your experiences using the form below: |
| If you have any story ideas - send them to the BBC using the link below and have your say! | If you have any story ideas - send them to the BBC using the link below and have your say! |
| Click here to send us your stories | Click here to send us your stories |