A computer glitch this Saturday affected the computerized passport control system and caused major delays for travelers arriving at airports in the UK, particularly London, authorities said.
Many travelers have also complained on social networks that they have to wait several hours in the middle of the long weekend before they can go through immigration controls.
London’s Heathrow and Gatwick airports cited a national problem regarding UK Border Police “e-gates”, which allow automatic passage through checks.
“Our teams are working closely with Border Police to resolve the issue as quickly as possible,” the Heathrow Airport management posted on its website, adding that more staff were being mobilized to manage queues and assist passengers.
The UK has over 270 electronic gates across 15 facilities, which are available to travelers aged 12 and over, be they British, EU nationals or a number of other countries (including Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan or the US ).
“We are aware that we have a national issue affecting arrivals in the UK,” a UK Home Office spokeswoman said, adding that “they are working to resolve the issue as soon as possible , in collaboration with carriers and airlines to minimize passenger problems”. .
Long queues to board ships crossing the English Channel via the port of Dover (South East England) were also reported on Saturday morning due to a computer problem at passport control at the French border, a problem that has already been resolved, according to an organization Twitter.
According to the same publication, the problem has been “solved”, with waiting time in the middle of the day estimated to be between 30 and 45 minutes, compared to 90 minutes in the morning.
These disruptions come after the airline British Airways had to cancel many 175 flights between Thursday and Friday due to a technical problem, according to the British agency PA.
Source: DN
