Planes were leaving “half empty” as hundreds of frustrated passengers missed their flights from Stansted Airport this morning, after a major IT failure caused widespread disruption across multiple systems.
Travellers arriving at the Essex airport in the early hours faced huge queues and what many described as “total chaos”, with many passengers unable to check-in or get through security in time.
The technical failure reportedly affected several critical airport systems, including check-in, baggage handling and security, resulting in delays and confusion across the terminal.
Queues of passengers filled the terminal area and stretched outside, with some passengers waiting for over an hour just to get inside.
One traveller, Danielle Louise, said: “It was absolute carnage. We arrived at 3am for our 7am flight and queued outside for four hours. By the time we got in, people were collapsing and passing out. There were no staff to be seen. When we finally got to the Ryanair desk, we were told we were too late and would miss our flight.”
Another passenger, Jo Miller, shared the experience of a family also caught up in the chaos: “There was a family that had queued for four hours with their kids, but when they finally got to check their luggage in, their flight had already left. They couldn’t get another one until Wednesday.”
Ryanair, which uses Stansted as a key UK hub, issued a message to customers warning of delays and advising them to arrive early due to “an internet outage in Stansted”.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Stansted Airport said:
“Due to an ongoing IT issue, a number of airport systems have been affected, including check-in, baggage and security. The issue has now been resolved but some arrivals and departures may be subject to delays. Engineers are working hard to fully restore all systems as soon as possible.
We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause and advise passengers to stay in contact with their airline for the latest information.”
Despite this update, many travellers said the damage had already been done.
Malgorzata Kapera, who also missed her flight, said: “It was an absolutely disgusting experience. We arrived at 3am for a 7:10am flight and still missed it. This wasn’t some minor delay – this was a total collapse of organization. Stansted Airport is the definition of chaos with massive, unmoving queues, no communication, no staff accountability, and a system that clearly learned nothing from the exact same IT failure last year.”
The full impact of the issue on flights throughout the day is still being assessed.