BA fills up 747s with lost cases

British Airways confirmed today that several 747 cargo planes were used to reunite passengers with their bags.

The drastic measure to ease the backlog comes as a shortage of baggage handlers means the airport is on a "knife edge". It is operating beyond maximum capacity at the height of the holiday season. Airline bosses fear that one problem will tip it over the edge.

As well as the air freighters, fleets of vans have been used in Europe to deliver bags to families left without their luggage. Office workers and outside agencies are being used to fill in for baggage handlers. But more than 100 staff are being taken off duty every day for training in the new baggage system that will operate at Terminal 5.

Union chief Brendan Gold said he had been in lengthy discussions with Heathrow's owner BAA as well as BA in recent months.

He told BA chief executive Willie Walsh at a meeting last Friday that baggage handlers, ground staff and security workers, in particular, were being placed under "tremendous pressure". At one point BA had 22,000 items of unclaimed luggage. A BA spokesman confirmed that baggage had been flown to New York to clear the backlog which dates back to disruption last month. It is believed up to 10 flights were involved.

The Aviation Minister today waded into the row over the troubled airport by claiming it is not all that bad. Jim Fitzpatrick said: "You might suggest I'm in denial but the general experience is that, yes, there are problems occasionally but generally the experience overall is not that horrendous." He said he understood some of the criticism but insisted the airport was improving. Pressure was also growing today on Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly. The minister has stayed silent while business leaders, airline chiefs and passengers have all voiced fury at the poor state of the nation's premier airport. Ms Kelly started a family holiday nine days ago, five weeks after being given her new Cabinet post.

Her spokesman refused to say where she was or when she would return to her desk, adding. "She is keeping fully abreast of the situation." Conservative shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers said: "We need some leadership from Ruth Kelly."