Hundreds of travellers from London Heathrow to the UAE were among those stranded overnight as chaos overtook the British airport on Wednesday. Flights by British Airways to Dubai were delayed for more than three hours due to problems with a supplier’s IT systems, the airline said.
A number of British Airways flights were cancelled or being delayed by several hours at Heathrow’s Terminal 5, according to the airport’s departure board. The 10.25pm BA105 flight was put back to 4pm on Thursday, along with flights to Dubai run by Aer Lingus and Iberia.
“We are working with our supplier to resolve the matter and are sorry for the disruption to our customers’ travel plans,” British Airways said in a statement.
The airline confirmed to The National that all passengers on the 10.25pm flight would either have been put up in a hotel in the environs of the airport, or, failing that, that all passengers would be recompensed for finding accommodation further afield and would be provided transport to and from the airport to enable them to make their flight to Dubai on Thursday.
The carrier suffered a massive computer system failure in May 2017, caused by a power supply issue near Heathrow, which stranded 75,000 customers over a busy holiday weekend.
Its chief executive said at the time it would take steps to ensure such an incident never happened again.
Travel journalist Alex Macheras said on Twitter that the airline had confirmed their flights were the only ones affected, although this appears to not just be an issue for the carrier:
Passengers at the airport on Wednesday described chaotic scenes as people tried to catch flights and complained there was a lack of information from the airline.
Twitter user World in 80 Dives told a forlorn tale of waiting for BA105 to leave while facing multiple delays before its eventual postponement to Thursday. Speaking to the British Airways help team, he noted at 8.51pm local time:
After being reassured that the flight would be leaving soon, he was hit by another delay:
His wait continued:
Finally he discovered that the flight was postponed and voiced frustrations no doubt shared by many:
Lydia, another Twitter user, pointed out that passengers who had already crossed through to the flight side of Heathrow airport were being forced to return through immigration before they could even find their way to a hotel:
Traveller Jack Darby complained on Twitter that British Airways had failed passengers grounded overnight: “A system failure should not prevent you picking up the phone to find hotels and transport for your passengers. Plenty of customers including me in for a night at Heathrow because there are no free hotels within your travel allowance. You should ashamed”.
“Utter chaos at LHR, no communication, no emergency processes and no clue,” one passenger Dominic Hill said on Twitter.
Andy McGurk also posted on the social media platform, saying “Hearing about another #BritishAirways IT meltdown at #Heathrow... cutting costs on essentials like IT inevitably lead to brand damaging issues like this.”
A number of flights at the airport were earlier disrupted after a control tower was evacuated because of a fire alarm.
“We apologise for any inconvenience that this has caused,” a spokeswoman said. “Emergency services responded using our regular safety procedures, and our operations have started to resume.”
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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1. Kylian Mbappe - to Real Madrid in 2017/18 - €180 million (Dh770.4m - if a deal goes through)
2. Paul Pogba - to Manchester United in 2016/17 - €105m
3. Gareth Bale - to Real Madrid in 2013/14 - €101m
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5. Gonzalo Higuain - to Juventus in 2016/17 - €90m
6. Neymar - to Barcelona in 2013/14 - €88.2m
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Are non-fungible tokens a currency, asset, or a licensing instrument? Arnab Das, global market strategist EMEA at Invesco, says they are mix of all of three.
You can buy, hold and use NFTs just like US dollars and Bitcoins. “They can appreciate in value and even produce cash flows.”
However, while money is fungible, NFTs are not. “One Bitcoin, dollar, euro or dirham is largely indistinguishable from the next. Nothing ties a dollar bill to a particular owner, for example. Nor does it tie you to to any goods, services or assets you bought with that currency. In contrast, NFTs confer specific ownership,” Mr Das says.
This makes NFTs closer to a piece of intellectual property such as a work of art or licence, as you can claim royalties or profit by exchanging it at a higher value later, Mr Das says. “They could provide a sustainable income stream.”
This income will depend on future demand and use, which makes NFTs difficult to value. “However, there is a credible use case for many forms of intellectual property, notably art, songs, videos,” Mr Das says.
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Director: Anu Menon
Rating: Three out of five stars
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Creator: Jenna Lamia
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1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
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3.30pm: Shadwell Farm Conditions Dh 100,000 (D) 1,000m
4pm: Maiden Dh 60,000 (D) 1,000m
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FIXTURES
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes v Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers v Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
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LAST SEASON
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Winners – Bahrain
Runners-up – Dubai Exiles
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Winners – Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Runners-up – Jebel Ali Dragons
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Runners-up – Abu Dhabi Harlequins
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Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
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Sector: Online food delivery
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Match is on BeIN Sports
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Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Biography
Favourite Meal: Chicken Caesar salad
Hobbies: Travelling, going to the gym
Inspiration: Father, who was a captain in the UAE army
Favourite read: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
Favourite film: The Founder, about the establishment of McDonald's
Why seagrass matters
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● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
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● Based: Dubai, UAE
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AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
