On Tuesday night, British airports, including major hubs like Heathrow, faced extensive queues due to a nationwide technical issue affecting Border Force operations and passport control.
Key airports across the UK, including Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Manchester, and Edinburgh, acknowledged the issue and collaborated with Border Force officials to manage the situation.
Passengers experienced chaotic scenes as border officials worked hastily to manually process passport holders when electronic gates malfunctioned. Sam Morter, 32, returning from Sri Lanka to London’s Heathrow, described the inactive e-gates causing significant delays.
Social media videos captured long queues at passport desks in airports such as Stansted and Heathrow.
A spokesperson for the Home Office addressed the nationwide technical issue affecting e-gates, assuring passengers that measures were being taken to resolve it promptly. Apologies were issued to all affected passengers for the inconvenience caused.
This incident follows previous occurrences. In May 2023, Britain’s automated border gates system crashed, leading to prolonged queues and delays. Additionally, in August 2023, technical issues disrupted the National Air Traffic Service, causing disruptions in the country’s air traffic system for several hours.
Border Force, operating under the Home Office, oversees passport control and the functioning of e-gates at airports.
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