THOUSANDS OF AIRLINE PASSENGERS LEFT STRANDED

Thousands of passengers were left stranded at airports in Australia on 16 December 2009 after the Virgin Blue airlines computer system experienced a malfunction. Reports indicate that the airline’s entire telecommunications network broke down after an electrical cable underneath Melbourne Airport (YMML/MEL) was accidentally severed, forcing employees to use manual check-in procedures. Airline managers stated that the malfunction was repaired after a few hours but that many flights had already been canceled because of stranded flight crews. The airline provided affected travelers with overnight accommodation and stated that most of the backlog has already been cleared.