Chaos at Heathrow as passengers forced to wait hours after e-gate failure

6 October 2021, 09:43 | Updated: 6 October 2021, 09:51

Passengers arriving at Heathrow are being forced to wait for hours or being held on planes due to a problem with self-service passport gates.

Travellers posted images of long queues on social media on Wednesday morning, with the airport admitting there was "an issue impacting the e-gates".

One estimated more than a thousand people were waiting at arrivals, while another reported an expected waiting time of two to four hours.

Another wrote: "Border control in utter chaos. No staff, no explanations, no help."

The airport said on Twitter: "We're aware of an issue impacting the e-gates, which are staffed and operated by Border Force.

"We apologise for the impact this is having on your journey.

"Our teams are working closely with Border Force to resolve this as quickly as possible."

It comes less than a fortnight after e-gates failed at airports across the UK.

E-gates - managed by Border Force - allow travellers with biometric passports to pass through border control without a manual inspection.