The electronic passport controls at British airports broke down on Tuesday evening.
Wednesday 8 May at 03:05
– Border control is now experiencing a national problem affecting travelers who are going to cross the border, said a spokesperson at Heathrow Airport in London on Tuesday evening.
Photos from frustrated travelers shared on social media show long queues at passport control.
– We are aware of a technical problem that affects “e-gatesElectronic passport controls.” over the whole country. We are working closely with border control and affected airports to resolve the issue as quickly as possible, the British Home Office said in a statement to Reuters.
At the airport in Manchester, the arrivals hall was packed with people who have returned to the UK from holiday, and who were waiting to go through passport control, writes the Manchester Evening News.
Bristol Airport and Gatwick were also affected by the chaos.
– All the electronic gates were completely blank, and there were just lots of chaotic scenes that unfolded, says Sam Morter, who landed at Heathrow after a holiday in Sri Lanka to the Reuters news agency.
He made it through the airport in about an hour and a half.
The system for electronic passport controls also collapsed in May last year, writes Sky News.
At 03:00 on the night of Wednesday, Heathrow Airport writes on X that the systems are up and running again:
– Passengers can expect a seamless journey through Heathrow. We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused.
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