British airports experienced chaos on Saturday after a malfunction in electronic passport gates led to several hours of delays for travelers entering the country. Passengers reported on social media that they waited for hours as those eligible to use the electronic gates were forced to go through border control gates for passport checks.
Heathrow Airport announced it was "working closely with border police managing the electronic gates to help resolve the issue as quickly as possible," adding that additional staff had been deployed. The Home Office stated it was sending extra personnel to help reduce wait times.
By Saturday evening, the Home Office announced that the issue had been resolved, stating: "Following a technical malfunction in the border system affecting arrivals through the electronic gates to the United Kingdom, we can confirm that all electronic gates are now operating normally." According to the government, there are over 270 electronic gates in 15 airports and train stations across the UK, available to British citizens and EU nationals over 12 years old, as well as passport holders from many other countries, including Australia and Canada.
