UK to let British travellers use facial scans instead of passports at e-gates
British passengers will soon be able to clear immigration by facial recognition alone, with the new system first rolling out at Birmingham and East Midlands airports.
A new facial-recognition system will allow British travellers to pass through e-gates without presenting a passport, using a gallery of passport photos supplied by airlines to Border Control. Birmingham and East Midlands airports will be the first to implement the technology, followed by all UK airports—including Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, London City, Manchester, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle—by early next year.
While the feature will initially apply only to holders of British passports, officials aim to add other approved nationalities such as EU, US, Australian and Canadian citizens. Passengers must still retain their passports for check-in and for journeys to other countries. If facial matching fails, the gate will request a passport scan and, if necessary, direct the traveller to a staffed desk. The upgrade follows a successful three-week trial at Manchester Airport and is expected to cut e-gate processing time by about 25 %.
Why it matters
It speeds up border checks for returning Brits and frees staff for higher-risk security tasks.
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