LONDON, Aug. 24 (UPI) -- British Airways struggled Tuesday to accommodate thousands of passengers affected by technical problems that canceled 21 flights, The Times of London reported.
A British Airways spokeswoman said the disruptions were the result of 25 flight cancellations Monday that affected an estimated 5,000 passengers.
The problems began Monday afternoon after the airline canceled three flights to the United States over technical problems with the aircraft. The disruption worsened the airline's current staff shortages and led to the cancellation of another 22 mostly short-haul flights.
In a statement, the airline said: "August is the busiest period of the year for British Airways and services at Heathrow are stretched. We have also had some technical problems with our aircraft and these combined has resulted in the cancellations."
BA carries around 100,000 passengers a day.
