IT failure: British Airways cancels Heathrow, Gatwick flights

Flights have been cancelled till 18:00 BST, reports said.

British Airways has apologised for the IT failure and the troubles caused to travellers.

The airlines said it is working to resolve the problem.

"We apologise for the current IT systems outage. We are working to resolve the problem as quickly as possible," British Airways tweeted.

Heathrow Airport also informed on the issue and tweeted: "We're working with @British_Airways following an issue with their IT system this morning that has caused some delays for passengers. 1/2."

"We advise passengers to check the status of their flight prior to travelling to the airport today. 2/2," it said.

Meanwhile, several travellers have expressed the troubles they are facing following the cancellation of the flights.

Travel writer and blogger Wild Way Round tweeted: "BA flight cancelled. Am devastated not to make it to the Edinburgh Marathon that I've trained all year for! @British_Airways #Heathrow."

Another Twitter user Don Bowman said :"Update: pilot says we have flight plan, baggage and fuel... Then says we might leave in an hour and a half??? Huh? #BA #Heathrow."

Filmmaker Philip Bloom tweeted: "Sadly stuck on tarmac at Heathrow for at least an hour. No space for us to park. It continues... #britishairways #heathrowdelays."