2023-05-31 06:15:20
Due to a failure of electronic passport control at British airports, passengers must expect long queues when entering Great Britain on Saturday. The problems with the e-gates at Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester airports, among others, began on Friday evening, the BBC reported.
People waiting at Heathrow Airport. (archive image)
Photo: Keystone
A spokeswoman for the UK Home Office Borders, Customs and Immigration Union workers’ union warned on BBC Radio 4 that queues would form “very, very quickly”. Depending on the airport, typically 60 to 80 percent of travelers passed through e-gates. Your passports would now have to be checked manually. That takes longer. But: “There is no impact on national security,” said the spokeswoman.
Electronic passport control is available to Brits over the age of 12 and citizens of the EU and some other countries including Australia, Canada, the US, Japan and New Zealand. Travelers can scan their passports themselves. Electronic face recognition is used to verify their identity. They will also be photographed as they pass through the gate.
At the port of Dover, there had previously been IT problems with controls when leaving the UK. The French passport control system had temporarily failed on Saturday morning and had caused queues.
“We are working to solve the problem as soon as possible and are in contact with port operators and airlines to minimize the disruption to travelers,” the BBC quoted a spokesman for the British Home Office as saying on Saturday.
The British airline British Airways had already canceled several flights at London’s Heathrow Airport before the Pentecost weekend due to IT problems. At times, the IT systems were completely paralyzed. Connections within Great Britain and Europe were particularly affected. (SDA)
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