Among the airlines hit by the problem were British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Qantas and Iberia, all of whom are affiliated to the oneworld alliance. An industry source said that the failure of the computer system caused a meltdown. Staff at check-in desks were forced to input passenger details manually, rather than simply scan their passports.

The fact that the breakdown occurred during a relatively quiet time of the year was a relief to those who said that if it had happened during a peak period, there would have been chaos.

There are currently four distribution systems used by the airline industry, and Amadeus is one of them. The company has not yet issued a statement saying what exactly caused the problem. However it did admit that several airlines which rely on its technology were having problems, and that it regretted any inconvenience being caused to customers of those airlines.

Carriers using other systems such as Worldspan and Galileo were not affected in any way.

The rooms were originally booked as part of the bid to secure the Games in 2005. However, Locog agreed at the time that any rooms that were no longer required by sponsors, event employees, the International Olympic Committee, International Sport Federations or the media would be put back onto the market for the public in time for the event.

Paul Deighton, chief executive of Locog, said that it had always been the intention of the organisation to return unwanted rooms to the hotels at the beginning of the year. He added that he hoped the hotels would now be able to plan for a spectacular summer.

British Hospitality Association spokesman Miles Quest said that around 8,000 nights would now become available, but as there will be 110,000 rooms being made available in London anyway, the addition was not that significant. He did however say that any addition to the number of rooms becoming available during what is always a busy period anyway, was welcome.

Mr Quest went on to say that there would also be some 75,000 additional rooms available in the south east region within travelling distance of the Games.

Singapore Airlines, one of Airbus’ biggest customers, said that it had found more cracks in the wings of some of its A380s which had not been discovered during compulsory inspections.

Executive vice president of programmes at Airbus, Tom Williams, said that A380 was safe to fly. He has flow to Dublin to make a statement to an industry conference where he explained that the issue was not related to metal fatigue.

Airbus blamed the problem on the aluminium alloy which had been used to make the wing brackets, the type of bolt being used, and a gap closing method which is putting strain on other components. Officials said that they fully understood the problem and that they could now go about fixing it.

Qatar Airways, which also operates the A380, said that it had confidence that Airbus could fix the problem adding that it would consider delaying delivery of further planes if the issue was not resolved. Qantas has 12 A380s in its fleet, but said it was not required to check them, and did not intend to do so. Qantas engineers had previously said that the checks should be made anyway.

The scheme has been nicknamed Boris Island because of the support it has already received from the London Mayor. At the end of 2010, Mr Cameron announced that the government would not be looking into creating a new hub, but since then he appears to have performed a U-turn by saying that there will now be a feasibility study concerning the project.

Mr Cameron is already facing a backlash over the announcement that the controversial HS2 project is to go ahead. A number of MPs are opposed to the idea of spending £33 billion on creating a high-speed rail link between London and Birmingham.

Again, environmental concerns have been raised because the route will cut through areas of the Chilterns and other parts of the country which are considered to be areas of outstanding natural beauty.

The letter asking him to kill off the idea of a new hub in the Thames estuary has been signed by six Tory Mps, and it is understood that other whips and ministers, who have not signed, are also opposed to the plans.

BA’s chief executive Keith Williams said that he was delighted that the airline could now resume flights to Libya, adding that for many years the carrier has provided an essential economic link to the country. He went on to say that a restart of operations was good news for everyone.

Because the FCO is still warning against non-essential trips to the capital Tripoli, as well as several other areas, and advising against any travel to the whole of the country, it is highly unlikely that ordinary travellers will be allowed to visit.

BA suspended operations to Tripoli last February after civil war broke out. Travel operators did the same. Companies such as Responsible Travel, Abercrombie & Kent and Exodus previously offered holidaymakers the chance to tour various parts of the country including the capital and ancient ruins such as Leptis Magna.

A Responsible Travel spokesman said that the operator would continue to abide by the recommendations made by the FCO, adding that until it changed its advice significantly trips to Libya were unlikely to resume. BA will resume operations on 1 May and will fly three times a week to Tripoli on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

Called the Hiriko, EU leaders are expected to give their endorsement today, and the car is slated to go into production at some time next year in Spain. The Hiriko is the result of a collaboration between the Spanish government, Basque businesses and MIT Media Lab in the US.

The wheels of the town-car are steered individually, which its designers claim gives it more manoeuvrability. The rear of the bubble-shaped vehicle can also tuck beneath the chassis. When this happens the vehicle only takes up around two-thirds of the space of a Smart car which the projects backers hope will be attractive in cities where parking space is at a premium.

Initial trials are now due to take place in various cities in the US and Europe including Boston, Malmo and Bilbao. To begin with, 20 vehicles are to be assembled at a factory in Vitoria-Gasteiz. It is then hoped that commercial production will begin at the start of next year.

MIT researcher, Ryan Chin, said the Hiriko will provide mobility on demand. He added that the vehicles green footprint and technology was far superior to that of today’s Smart cars.

An Emirates spokesman said the warning did not pose any safety issues and that schedules for the airline would remain unaffected. EASA said that it was concerned that parts of the A380 wing could break up if the problem was not dealt with promptly.

The Dubai-based airline is Airbus’ biggest customer for its A380 model. It currently has a fleet of 20 and orders for 90 of the superjumbos. Last week, the planemaker found problems with fissures in some of its wing components.

Other airlines which have been told to check their planes include Air France-KLM and Singapore Airlines. Although it too flies A380s, Qantas has since been told that the problem is unlikely to occur on its jets.

However, the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association has said that the flag-carrier should implement a series of safety checks over the next few weeks. President of ALAEA, Paul Cousins, added that he thought all fleets of A380s should be subject to investigation. He explained that he was worried that any damage could start to put pressure on other parts of the wing.

The rate of offence for under-25s was 5.7 per cent where it is 4 per cent or drivers over that age. According to campaign groups, the latest figures indicate that warnings about driving while under the influence of alcohol or drugs are not working.

President of the Automobile Association, Edmund King, said he had hoped to see fewer drivers testing positive this year. He admitted that the figures had been affected by the weather. Over the previous two Christmas periods poor weather meant that fewer people decided to brave the roads, instead choosing to stay at home.

Northampton Police Deputy Chief Constable Suzette Davenport said that driving on drink and drugs could result in peoples’ lives being ruined. Not simply because they might have an accident but an arrest can mean a prison sentence, a driving ban and the loss of a job.

Institute of Advanced Motorists spokesman, Neil Greig, said that the fact that so many drivers being arrested were in the lower age group was worrying. He added that research which had been conducted showed that half of all young drivers are not clear about how much they can drink before getting behind the wheel.

The dove design was chosen by a panel of judges, including Tracey Emin. She described the work as stunning, adding that it would bring excitement to passengers who fly on the repainted aircraft. Ms Emin will assist Mr Anson through the duration of the project.

He said that he had been inspired by the planes he watched landing and taking off from Gatwick Airport which he watches while commuting to Kingston University where he is a design tutor. He added that the idea for the dove came from trying to determine whether the jets were birds or planes.

He went on to say that the dove seemed an appropriate symbol because it represents social unity and peace, and had been an emblem used in other Olympic Games ceremonies. BA said that the design would encompass the whole of the aircraft, but that the airline would also manage to retain its identity. The Royal Navy Chatham flag will remain in tact.

The flag carrier intends to unveil the design in April, and it will stay until at least the end of this year. BA will also be promoting other UK talent in the run up to the Games.

The survey found that 78 per cent of those intending to travel this year intend to be thriftier than they have been in previous years. Only 45 per cent of respondents said that they were planning to take a holiday on foreign shores. Of this number, 13 per cent said that they planned to stay with family or friends.

In an attempt to keep a track on how much their holiday was going to cost, 10 per cent of those who were planning a trip overseas said that they would be booking an all-inclusive package deal. Another way of keeping expenditure down is to book a self-catering break, which was attractive to 12 per cent of travellers.

According to the study, many of those planning to get away in the summer plan to leave the booking process until the last minute in the hope that they can pick up a bargain.

Just under a quarter said that they would be booking their break between March and June, with 10 per cent saying that they would be leaving it until between July and August, the peak summer holiday season.