Up to 10,000 people missed their flights from London Stansted Airport today after an IT ‘glitch’ sparked travel chaos.
The mystery failure caused a meltdown of key systems, including check-in, security and baggage handling.
Footage from the travel hub showed thousands of fuming passengers stuck in snaking queues.
Many wrote on X that they ‘gave up’ and went home after standing in line for hours. The exact cause of the IT failure remains under investigation.
According to reports, some flights were leaving half empty after people were stuck in queues and unable to get through security.
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The airport has not given an update on X since nine hours ago, when it said the issue was fixed but that passengers could expect continued disruption.
Scores of flights to Spain have been affected by the carnage, with hours-long delays continuing to affect services.
A Jet2 flight to Palma de Mallorca that was scheduled for 5.10pm will now depart at 11.15pm – more than six hours late.
Other routes facing hours-long delays included to Malaga and Menorca.
Furious travellers accused the airport of providing little to no information during the worst of the chaos.
One passenger named Ben wrote: ‘Holiday off to a great start…gave up. Stansted in meltdown.
‘Came home and booked an easyJet flight from Gatwick later. You know those Karen tweets about ‘no one giving us information’… turns out that is a thing and it’s very infuriating!’
Another flyer, Vittorio Nigrelli, shared a photo on X showing how the airport was packed with passengers.
He wrote: ‘The only thing more moronic than letting a crowd gather like this is yellow jackets staff suggesting to people who are not in the crowd to add themselves to the mass asking which flights have been cancelled. Get a grip!’
Another Brit heading to Spain said: ‘Anyone that’s travelling out from Stansted, just a heads up. Ended up missing a day and getting a flight elsewhere tomorrow now!’
