A major technical meltdown has brought passport control to a standstill at Heathrow Airport and other key UK entry points, causing severe disruption for thousands of travellers.
The nationwide failure of the UK Border Force's automated e-gates system on Tuesday evening left passengers facing lengthy, snaking queues as officials were forced to process arrivals manually. The outage impacted critical airports including Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, Edinburgh, and Birmingham.
Passengers Describe 'Total Chaos'
Social media was quickly flooded with images and videos depicting the scene of chaos at arrival halls. Frustrated passengers reported being held on planes or stuck in queues for hours with little to no information from authorities.
One traveller described the situation at Heathrow as "absolute carnage," while another stated they had "never seen queues like it" after their flight from Istanbul landed.
Official Response and Cause
A Home Office spokesperson confirmed the outage, stating: "We are aware of a technical issue affecting e-gates across the country. We are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible and are liaising with port operators and airlines to minimise disruption for travellers."
At the time of writing, the exact cause of the widespread system crash remains unclear. Officials have not provided a definitive timeline for a full restoration of service, leaving travellers in a state of uncertainty.
Advice for Affected Travellers
Passengers due to travel are advised to:
- Allow significant extra time for arrival processes.
- Check their airline's website and social media for the latest flight-specific updates.
- Remain patient and follow instructions from airport staff and Border Force officers.
This incident highlights the reliance of the UK's border infrastructure on digital systems and the widespread chaos that ensues when they fail.
