Overview
- A three-week October pilot at Manchester let British passport-holders clear arrival e-gates using facial recognition without presenting a passport.
- The technology was fitted to existing e-gates and matched passengers’ faces to records before opening the gate automatically.
- Passengers who were not recognized or needed further questioning were routed to Border Force officers for manual checks.
- Border Force chief Phil Douglas reported “considerably reduced” processing times and said a new contract will expand e-gates across UK ports and airports.
- Airports warned that faster entry could shift congestion to baggage reclaim, and the UK’s approach contrasts with the EU’s new fingerprint-and-photo Entry/Exit system.