A claimed number of up to 20,000 items of luggage ware reportedly gone missing at airports on Tuesday among the mess of UK terror alert, adding to the travel misery caused by new security measures.

British Airways is reportedly hiring lorries and cargo planes to fetch bags and suitcases from other airports around the UK and Europe, according to Evening Standard published here on Tuesday.

But it said it could be "a few days" before the majority of owners are reunited with their luggage.

Though many travelers have to continue to endure cancellations and delays, most UK airports are returned to normal service, but airline and travel industry anger continues at the way the security crisis has been handled.

Airports operator BAA has been accused of inadequate staffing to implement the new security measures.

British Airways said the operator's advice about Tuesday's flights had come too late to prevent it having to axe 41 flights at Heathrow.

Flights are slowly getting back to normal. The company said it planned to operate at 90 percent of its full schedule on Wednesday from Heathrow and Gatwick, although flights would still be subject to delays.

Budget airline Ryanair, which had to cancel eight flights on Tuesday at Stansted, accused BAA of "a chronic inability to staff security facilities".

The Federation of Tour Operators said travel companies had felt "let down by inconsistent airport policies and clearly inadequate staffing arrangements".

(Xinhua News Agency August 16, 2006)