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 electronic 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 use e-gates only when accompanied by adults – and British, Union European, American, Canadian, citizens 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 hundreds of thousands of people travel and inbound traffic is extremely high.
Great Britain left the EU more than three years ago, but during its membership in the EU it did not join the Schengen area without internal EU border controls, so travelers had to go through passport control before.
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