BRITISH Airways cancelled dozens of flights today as travel chaos continued at Heathrow's new £4.3 billion Terminal 5.By 8am a total of 36 flights - all of them short-haul - had been axed, and BA had brought in extra staff to cope with passengers who had started queueing as early as 4am today.

BRITISH Airways cancelled dozens of flights today as travel chaos continued at Heathrow's new £4.3 billion Terminal 5.

By 8am a total of 36 flights - all of them short-haul - had been axed, and BA had brought in extra staff to cope with passengers who had started queueing as early as 4am today.

Amid jostling in the queues, some missed their flights - blaming a lack of desks open to cope with the large numbers, and misinformation.

But having suspended luggage check-in yesterday after mounting baggage-system problems, BA was at least able to allow hold baggage to be carried on all flights today.

A BA spokesman said: "We will have to see how the system holds up. We hope we will do a better job than yesterday."

Today was the second day of operation of the new terminal which was officially opened earlier this month by the Queen.

The hopes of BA and airport operator BAA that the first day would be a triumph were wrecked by a succession of teething problems which led to 34 flight cancellations, long queues and delayed baggage.