Travellers arriving at airports across the United Kingdom encountered extensive delays and disruption on Tuesday evening due to technical issues with Border Force passport e-gates. The glitch, affecting multiple airports including Heathrow, Stansted, Gatwick, Edinburgh, and Manchester, has led to frustration among passengers as long queues and manual passport checks became the norm.
A nationwide technical outage, reportedly caused by an unspecified technical issue with the Border Force passport e-gate system, prompted Edinburgh Airport to issue a warning via social media around 9:20 pm, cautioning passengers about potential delays at border control.
A passenger affected by the disruption expressed disappointment on social media, noting the inability to process passports at Edinburgh Airport due to technical issues.
Images shared online depicted lengthy queues of travellers grappling with the disruption, with one passenger at Heathrow airport describing scenes of mass congestion at border control due to a computer outage.
Reports indicated that passport checks were being carried out manually at Manchester Airport, while passengers at London Heathrow Terminal 2 faced considerable delays, with complaints about the lack of communication and updates.
A traveller criticised the situation, estimating a three-hour wait with no updates or information provided, likening the experience to challenges faced in third-world countries.
Similar sentiments were echoed by another passenger stuck in the queue at Stansted airport, describing the situation as unacceptable with thousands waiting and no provisions for essentials like water or food.
Social media posts further highlighted the widespread impact, with one individual expressing frustration over the unavailability of Border control e-gates at Stansted airport due to a computer problem.
In response to the disruption, airports have deployed additional staff to assist passengers, with Heathrow Airport reassuring customers of their efforts to support Border Force in resolving the issue promptly.
Airlines have also taken steps to inform customers, with Ryanair notifying passengers via their app about the temporary unavailability of Electronic Passport gates at all UK airports, cautioning about potential extended queue times at passport control.
As authorities work to address the technical fault, passengers are urged to remain patient and stay informed about updates from airlines and airport authorities regarding their journeys.
In conclusion, the widespread technical outage affecting border control e-gates underscores the vulnerability of critical systems and the significant impact on travel infrastructure. As efforts continue to restore normalcy, passengers are reminded to stay informed and prepared for potential delays during their travels.
