On August 12, delays continue at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) after a U.S. Customs computer system problem at the airport have stranded thousands of international travelers on planes and in terminals for at least six hours.

The computer glitch started about 2 p.m. August 11 and eventually inconvenienced upward of 20,000 airline passengers through the day and into the night, prompting palpable frustration among those stranded.

And although customs computers may have been put back on line, ending inbound delays described as "intolerable" and "disgraceful" by passengers, all is not well at the airport as of in the morning on August 12.

The delays caused by the computer problem have thrown a major wrench into the world's international air fleet. Departures from LAX, one of the busiest airports in the United States, are being delayed so that flight crews can get their mandatory sleep periods, and aircraft can be cleaned and serviced.

Travelers with flights out of Los Angeles on August 12 were advised to check airlines for delays, airport officials said.

Some flights to Europe and Asia have been canceled on August 12, as the dozens of international air carriers scramble to move crews or equipment to replace pilots or airplanes that cannot fly on schedule. Only major U.S. carriers have planes and crews in the Los Angeles area to shift into place.

Many passengers spent the night sitting in airport sidewalks, as chairs were overflowing with sleeping people. Hotels in the airport area were also booked out.

"It's third world, it's just disgraceful," said Caroline O'Rourke, an Irish tourist who sat crumpled on her suitcase outside the airport's Tom Bradley International Terminal.

"I've missed my ride, and I don't know where to go," she said, looking exhausted after 28 hours in airplanes.