Japan's ANA cancels flights due to computer glitch

TOKYO, May 27 (Reuters) - Computer system problems forced Japan's No. 2 airline, All Nippon Airways Co Ltd (ANA), to cancel all its domestic flights out of Tokyo's Haneda airport from today afternoon and delayed other domestic flights.

A spokesman for ANA said all of its flights from Haneda were cancelled until around 6:00 p.m. local time due to the problems, which affected the airline's reservations, ticket issuing and boarding processes.

A total of 114 flights were cancelled from early today afternoon, affecting 21,000 passengers, the spokesman said.

Another 176 flights nationwide were delayed by at least an hour.

All the flights were domestic.

Another ANA official said the computer glitches had been mostly resolved and that flights from Haneda should resume from 6:00 p.m.

local time without more problems.

Television footage showed long lines at reservation counters at Haneda, which is primarily a domestic airport.

''I hope we can fly soon,'' one woman said, nodding towards the toddler daughter in her arms. ''She keeps saying she wants to see her papa.'' The computer snags have also affected some regional airlines whose systems are linked to those of ANA, causing delays.

REUTERS GT VC1333