Luggage system malfunction hits Heathrow British Airways terminal

London: A luggage system malfunction forced at least four British Airways flights to take off from UK's busiest Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5 without passengers' luggage on board, affecting plans of hundreds of holidaymakers.

Heathrow has apologised following technical problems at the terminal, which caters mainly to British Airways flights. Hundreds of holidaymakers are feared to have been affected by the disruption and were still waiting for their baggage at destinations across Europe, 'Evening Standard' reported.

A spokesperson for BA confirmed several flights left for their destinations without passengers' luggage but could not provide an exact number of flights affected.

"Heathrow is experiencing some problems and they are working to restore it," she said.

There have been a series of luggage related glitches at the Heathrow terminal in the last few months.

Thousands of passengers were forced to fly without their bags in early August when a power failure knocked out the baggage sorting system in Terminal 5.

In late June, an "intermittent" problem with Heathrow's baggage system also meant passengers had to fly without their luggage.