Passengers have been 'trapped on planes' and faced 'insane' queues at border control due to a 'technical glitch' at UK airports last night.
The Border Force eGates, automated self-service barriers activated by passport chips, experienced a system failure at major UK airports, including Manchester, Gatwick, and Heathrow. This technical issue resulted in significant delays at the border, with passengers reporting waits of up to 80 minutes in Manchester.
Some passengers claimed they were kept on planes for approximately 30 minutes post-landing due to the enormity of the 'mad' queues. One woman shared her experience with the Manchester Evening News, saying: "We have just been allowed off the plane to immigration and it's crazy. Stayed on the plane for about 30 minutes as immigration refused to accept us - now we are in a massive queue."
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Another traveller reported an 80-minute wait after the eGates malfunctioned in Manchester, a problem that also affected other airports across the country, saying: "We are clear and through now. Was there about one hour 20 minutes. We were handed bottled water as it was red hot with no air conditioning."
Another passenger posted on X, formerly Twitter: "System down at Manchester Airport, over 1,000 people packed in the hall at immigration, border force staff handing out bottles of water."
Reports have emerged of a significant technical glitch affecting numerous airports, with the issue starting before 8pm. Manchester Airport issued an apology on Tuesday evening for the extensive delays in a statement, which read: "UK Border Force is experiencing nationwide issues affecting eGates at a number of airports, including Manchester. Our teams are supporting UK Border Force staff to minimise disruption to passengers while they fix the problem.
"We apologise for any inconvenience caused during this time and thank you for your patience and understanding."
While the exact number of impacted airports remains unconfirmed, social media posts suggest the problem is widespread and has been ongoing since before 8pm on Tuesday.
A Home Office spokesperson acknowledged the 'technical issue' was affecting locations across the country, stating: "We are aware of a technical issue affecting eGates across the country. We are working closely with Border Force and affected airports to resolve the issue as soon as possible and apologise to all passengers for the inconvenience caused."
This incident follows a four-day strike by Border Force workers at Heathrow last week over a dispute concerning working conditions. The union has claimed that the proposed new rosters could result in approximately 250 staff losing their jobs at passport control.
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