The issue affects inbound passenger traffic at all five of London’s international airports – Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and City – and all other UK airports where e-gates operate. Four of London’s five airports – Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton – also receive flights from Budapest.
Airport e-gates in Great Britain can be used by those with a passport with a biometric ID, who have reached the age of 12 – although those between the ages of 12 and 17 can only use the e-gates accompanied by adults – and British, EU or American or Canada, or nationals of Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein, or Iceland.
60-80 percent of passengers arriving in Great Britain use these entry control systems, but on Saturdays they also had to queue at traditional passport control counters. According to consistent reports, on Saturdays at the airports with the highest traffic, it is only possible to pass the oncoming traffic control after waiting more than two hours.
A UK Home Office spokesperson said Saturday afternoon that the department is “aware” of a nationwide issue affecting the entry system for border control and is working to rectify the error as soon as possible.
The crash occurred during the busiest period of the early summer travel season, the traditional three-day weekend at the end of May, when usually hundreds of thousands of people are traveling and domestic traffic is also high.
Great Britain left the European Union more than three years ago, but during its membership in the European Union it did not join the Schengen area without internal EU border controls, so travelers had to go through passport control even before.
Cover photo: Shutterstock
