ALBAWABA - Malfunctions in the electronic passport gates system at British airports have resulted in significant delays for incoming travelers at the start of the bank holiday weekend.
Passengers took to social media to describe queues lasting several hours at multiple airports, including Heathrow and Gatwick, where manual passport checks were conducted instead of using the automated machines.
These disruptions come as millions are expected to travel via roads and public transportation during the early part of the current week, according to the British news agency PA Media.
One traveler arriving at Heathrow Airport tweeted, "Just landed to absolute chaos. Two-hour queues just to get to the real queue. Broken gates."
Another passenger at Gatwick Airport described the situation as "a complete shambles."
A spokesperson for Gatwick Airport stated that the problem started on Friday evening but that the queue lengths had reduced by Saturday morning.
They added, "Some passengers may experience delays at immigration due to a national issue with the UK Border Force's e-gates."
The spokesperson further explained, "Our staff are working closely with the UK Border Force, who manage passport control, including the e-gates, to assist passengers when needed."
Heathrow Airport tweeted, "We are aware of a national issue affecting e-gates managed by Border Force. This issue is impacting a number of entry points and is not exclusive to Heathrow."
They continued, "Our teams are working closely with Border Force to resolve the issue as quickly as possible, and we have additional colleagues available to manage queues and provide care to passengers. We apologize for any impact this may have on passengers' journeys."
A Home Office spokesperson stated that Border Force had put in place "robust plans" to deploy officers to minimize disruption and waiting times.
