NEW ‘contactless’ e-gates have just been introduced at a major UK airport.
Brits returning to the UK won’t have to scan their passport in a new government scheme to speed up arrivals – and it’s now in place at Gatwick Airport.
East Midlands Airport was the first to introduce the new system on October 6, followed by Gatwick – and eventually it will be rolled out at 13 UK airports.
The contactless system is set to be up to 25 per cent faster than current e-gates.
When one writer for The Times tested out the new e-gates, she said it took just 12 seconds to get through.
How it works is that passengers will have their photo taken at an e-gate which will be checked by the system, verified against immigration, travel and passport information.
Essentially it takes away the need to both have a picture taken and scan the passport.
Once the checks are complete, the e-gates will open automatically.
If there is a need for further checks, then passengers will need to place their passport on the reader – or they could be asked to see a Border Force officer.
Passengers are still being told to keep their passport with them at all times.
At the moment, the contactless system will be for British citizens only, but eventually could be used by other nationalities.
The other airports which will have the new e-gate system are Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, London Heathrow, London City, London Luton, Manchester, Newcastle and London Stansted.
Phil Douglas, director general of Border Force, said: “This is a win for travellers coming to our brilliant country.
“By using state-of-the-art technology, we are making journeys smoother and faster, all while fully maintaining the UK’s robust border security.
“Our digital transformation also builds on our work this summer to extend eGates to children aged eight and above, making life a little easier for families.”