By Michael Race
Business reporter, BBC News
Border Force is “currently experiencing a nationwide issue” leading to disruption, several UK airports said.
Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Birmingham and Manchester airports all confirmed a Border Force problem was affecting passport control e-gates.
The airports said they were supporting Border Force staff to “minimise disruption” for passengers.
Pictures and videos are circulating on social media showing long queues at passport control at different airports.
Border Force, which operates the UK border at airports across the country, has been approached for comment.
E-gates are automated gates that use facial recognition to check a person’s identity and allow them to enter the country without talking to a Border Force officer.
There are more than 270 of them in place at 15 air and rail ports in the UK, according to the government’s website, which also says they are supposed to “enable quicker travel into the UK”.
Heathrow, the UK’s largest airport, apologised to passengers for the delays to journeys and added it was supporting Border Force “with their contingency plans”.
“Border Force is currently experiencing a nationwide issue which is impacting passengers being processed through the Border,” an airport spokesperson said.
A Gatwick spokesperson added that their staff were working with UK Border Force – who operate passport control including the e-gates – “to provide assistance to passengers where necessary”.
