Flight cancellations at the new Terminal 5 of London's Heathrow Airport will continue well into next week.

British Airways plans to operate about 85% of its T5 services on Sunday, with 37 flights having been cancelled.

On Monday and Tuesday it hopes to run 87% and a "progressively larger flying programme" throughout the week.

The chaos is due to problems with the baggage handling system. About 15,000 bags are stranded and many passengers have had to fly without their luggage.

A total of 208 flights in and out of the terminal were cancelled during T5's first three days.

The problems have led BA to consider postponing the transfer of its long-haul operations at Terminal 4 to the new Terminal 5, which had been scheduled for the end of April.

"We haven't said we will alter the original plan," a spokesman said.

"But obviously, in the light of what has happened in the last few days, it is prudent to review the situation."

The airline has also faced criticism after imposing a £100 upper limit on hotel accommodation costs for delayed passengers, and the Civil Aviation Authority has written to BA to make sure it complies with European legislation on passengers' rights.

Bags stacked up

BA has confirmed it is holding a backlog of about 15,000 bags, but one source told the BBC that the number may be closer to 20,000. The luggage is stacked up across all terminals at the airport.

T5 LATEST

37 domestic and European flights cancelled on Sunday

Long-haul flights operating

Passengers able to check in both hand and hold baggage

Some customers' bags will be delayed

Flights to and from Terminals 1 to 4 operating normally

BA information line - 0800 727800

Other carriers bringing passengers into Heathrow, to transfer to BA flights, have been asked by the airline to hold on to their bags while it clears the existing backlog.
BA said bags for UK destinations would be returned by courier while international luggage would take the next available flight.

The fifth terminal opened amid great fanfare on Thursday, but problems with the baggage handling system and "staff familiarisation" quickly derailed operations.

On one of the delayed planes on Saturday, passengers on flight BA0662 to Larnaca were held on the tarmac for some four hours before leaving at 1205 GMT.

One, Elizabeth Drury, told the BBC the captain said they would be leaving without any luggage.

Continued...