Travelers heading to the UK today expressed their frustration and anger at the failure of ePassport gates, causing delays and significant inconvenience.
Travelers rely on the efficiency and reliability of electronic passport portals, commonly known as e-gates, to streamline the immigration process. However, the recent failures of these online portals have angered many travelers. The malfunctioning gates caused long lines.
The problem with the passport system is not limited to one particular airport or region, but has affected many airports across the country. Major airports including Heathrow, Manchester and Gatwick had problems with e-gates from Friday evening. Passengers arriving or departing from any airport equipped with this technology have been affected, exaggerating the scale of the problem.
Electronic gates have become a common feature in modern airports due to their ability to speed up passport control procedures. By allowing passengers to scan their passports and verify their identity through facial recognition technology, these gates significantly reduce the time they spend in line. Moreover, the electronic gates take the traveler’s photo for security reasons, which improves the efficiency of border control.
With the electronic gates broken, passengers traveling to the UK had to go through manual passport checks. This manual verification process requires more time and resources than a more efficient portal system. Airports with higher passenger throughput and greater reliance on electronic gates experienced greater disruptions.
The weekend the e-access issue occurred was already expected to be a busy travel period, as a public holiday coincides with school holidays for many families. The addition of disruption caused by malfunctioning electronic gates has created significant challenges for travellers, with delays, uncertainty and inconvenience affecting many vacation plans.
In addition to problems at airports, travelers leaving the UK from the port of Dover faced difficulties after the French passport system failed on Saturday. This has led to departure delays and long lines for cars and buses, with around 400 lorries lined up to cross the English Channel on a particularly busy bank holiday weekend.
