UK airports are introducing contactless borders that will eliminate the need for British travellers to show their passports at e-gates. The new facial recognition system will scan passengers' faces and match them against passport photos already on record. The upgraded technology is expected to reduce queues by up to 25%.
Rollout begins at Birmingham and East Midlands
The rollout begins today at Birmingham and East Midlands airports. By early next year, the system will be introduced across major UK airports including Manchester, Heathrow, Gatwick and others.
Phil Douglas, director general of Border Force, said: "It will mean we have a more secure border and a much faster transit through the airport."
How the system works
Airlines will send passport photos of British passengers to border control on arrival day, making the facial recognition check more efficient. Those who cannot be recognised will revert to traditional passport scanning.
The system will initially serve British passport holders but plans exist to expand to other nationalities with biometric passports from Europe, Australia, Canada and the US.
