UK travel delays: British Airways slowed down by IT glitch; fire hampers London Victoria trains

UK commuters are facing a long day of delays. On one hand, British Airways (BA) has been delayed by IT glitches and on the other, fire on the railway lines have led to the suspension of London Victoria trains.

Long queues of holidaymakers made it a point to post their complaints on social media about app crashes and inability to check-in while stuck at the airport. A number of flights departing from Heathrow, Gatwick and London City have been affected. More than 200 flights have been delayed across UK; 81 flights have been cancelled in Heathrow while BA cancelled 10 Gatwick flights.

British Airways' spokesperson has clarified that the glitch has not affected flights globally and they have professionals "working as quickly as possible to resolve a systems issue." BA has switched to manual check-in at the airport for the time being.

Passengers are being urged to check the British Airways website regarding their flight status.

British Airways has had to make alternative arrangements for customers who are being forced to fly the next day.

Fires on the tracks at Battersea Park also set back train commute this morning. Southern and Gatwick Express trains were unable to run to and from London Victoria. Southern Rail UK tweeted about the impending days on the Victoria-Clapham route due to the fire.

Though the fire department had acted swiftly and put out the flames by 8 am, the temporary halt in services has caused massive residual delays. National Rail spokesperson in their statement has said: "We expect disruptions for the rest of the day that will affect a lot of people due to it happening before rush hour."