Incredible images show extent of Heathrow Airport chaos

Remarkable photos from a major international airport in the UK shows the extreme chaos at hand after what bosses say was a technical glitch.

Over the weekend, a technical error at Heathrow Airport resulted in mounds of bags being left at the airport, with some passengers being forced to wait hours for their luggage or continue their journey without it.

Thousands of bags could be seen in what stunned onlookers described as "a wave" of luggage.

The technical issue has since been resolved, a spokesperson for the airport told the Evening Standard, however the the repercussions of the fiasco are still being felt.

"Passengers are now able to check-in as normal, but a number of passengers who departed from Terminal 2 earlier today may have travelled without their luggage," the spokesperson said.

"We are working closely with airlines to reunite passengers with their luggage as soon as possible. We're sorry there's been disruption to passenger journeys."

Several people on social media said they are still waiting to be reunited with their luggage, some claiming they had essential items in their bags.

"If you are missing your luggage it’s probably at Heathrow," one person remarked on Twitter along with a photo of the sea of bags, to which someone said the sight was "a bit obscene".

However, the technical issue which resulted in the immense amount of bags piling up at Terminal 2 has resulted in more problems for Heathrow.

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About 30 flights at Heathrow Airport have now been cancelled, affecting up to 5000 passengers, the BBC reported.

On Monday, Heathrow Airport reportedly asked airlines to cut 10 per cent of flights at terminals two and three.

“The technical issues affecting baggage systems have led to us making the decision to request airlines operating in Terminals 2 and 3 to consolidate their schedules on Monday June 20," a spokesperson said in a statement to The Guardian.

“This will enable us to minimise ongoing impact and we ask that all passengers check with their airlines for the latest information.”

Millions to travel through Sydney Airport in the coming weeks

In April this year, chaos ensued at airports in Australia, with huge lines seen at Sydney Airport.

At the time, the chaos was attributed to the start of the Easter school holidays, staff shortages at the airport and the Melbourne Grand Prix.

In a statement on Tuesday, Sydney Airport said 1.8 million passengers travelled through the airport from 4 April until 24 April.

However, it's set to be an even busier school holiday period this July, with 2.1 million passengers set to travel through the airport between 27 June and 17 July.

Sydney Airport CEO Geoff Culbert warned terminals will be busy during the school holidays.

“It’s terrific to see the ongoing demand for air travel but we won’t sugar-coat the fact that the terminals will be busy during the school holidays, and there will be queues," he said.

“We are doing everything we can to get people on their way, including bringing an additional 60 customer service staff into the terminals every day to help manage queues and bring passengers forward in order of flight priority.

“The root cause of these challenges is that every business at the airport is rebuilding its workforce and doing it in the tightest jobs market in nearly half a century."

Mr Culbert thanked passengers in advance for their patience and said staff at the airport will be doing their "utmost" to make sure everyone gets on their flight.

When will it be busiest at Sydney Airport?

A number of initiatives will be implemented ahead of the school holidays at Sydney, including an additional 60 customer service staff being on hand during the peak.

Passengers should arrive as close to the advised time as possible and not any earlier, Greg Hay, Sydney Airport General Manager of Operations said, as some domestic airlines don't open baggage check until two hours before take-off.

Thursdays, Fridays and Mondays are expected to be the busiest days for passenger travel during the peak.

"Across any given day early-to-mid morning will be busy, with passenger numbers easing late morning and into the afternoon before peaking again in the evening," Mr Hay said.

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