'Heathrow terminal opening a national embarrassment'

    
LONDON: The chaotic opening of Terminal 5 of London's Heathrow airport was a "national embarrassment", British MPs have said, lambasting British Airways and airports operator BAA for mishandling the event.
    
The House of Commons Transport Committee slammed British Airport Authority (BAA) for "serious failings" that led to flight cancellations affecting more than 36,000 passengers and leaving over 23,000 bags missing, a BBC report said on Monday.
    
"What should have been an occasion of national pride was in fact an occasion of national embarrassment," committee chairman Louise Ellman said referring to the opening in March this year.
    
The MPs also criticised concerned authorities for being "ill-prepared" and not being able to provide any "satisfactory explanation" about why the chaos had happened, BBC said.
    
The report noted that joint meetings between the two companies were not held over Terminal 5 until after the complex opened.
    
When the 4.3 billion pounds terminal was inaugurated on March 27, most of the problems were down to "insufficient communication" between British Airways (BA) and BAA, the BBC said.
    
Regretting that operation at Heathrow's newest terminal came to a halt, a BAA spokesman said the company had noted findings and changes have been made.