A major IT meltdown disrupted operations and caused chaos for thousands of passengers at London Stansted Airport.

Footage captured by passenger Anne shows a long queue of travellers following the system failure on Sunday, May 11.

Anne said: 'Stansted Airport right now. IT system issue, the airport says. Some people are queuing outside just to get inside the airport terminal.'

The holidaymaker said that some passengers had flights departing in just 15 minutes but were still stuck in security lines. Several holidaymakers gave up and returned home after missing their flights.

Many passengers, initially running to catch their flights, eventually ended up in refund queues instead.

Reports indicated that the IT crash began around 2:30 am, just hours before the first scheduled departures. An estimated 10,000 travellers were affected.

London Stansted Airport said in a statement: 'Due to an ongoing IT issue, a number of airport systems have been affected, including check-in, baggage, and security. The issue has now been resolved but some arrivals and departures may be subject to delays.

'Engineers are working hard to fully restore all systems as soon as possible.

'We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause and advise passengers to stay in contact with their airline for the latest information.'

Jet2 and TUI delayed several flights to accommodate affected passengers, while Ryanair chose to depart on schedule.

Travellers described chaotic scenes, with disorganised queues, overcrowded areas, and only a handful of staff shouting flight information.

By 10:30 am, Stansted Airport said the issue was resolved, though delays persisted.