U.K. airports install biometric passport readers

Published 2 August 2011

Individuals with biometric passports from the United Kingdom or the European Union will now be able to use sophisticated automated e-Passport scanners at every major U.K. airport

Individuals with biometric passports from the United Kingdom or the European Union will now be able to use sophisticated automated e-Passport scanners at every major U.K. airport.

The e-Passport gates use facial-recognition technology to compare a traveller’s face to the photograph recorded on the chip in the biometric passport. The scanner measures the distance between an individual’s eyes, nose, mouth, and ears in comparison to the data recorded on the passport to determine if there is a match. The traveller’s information is also automatically cross-referenced against all of the U.K Border Agency’s systems.

Once all the information is verified, the gates will open and the passenger will be able to pass through. In the event that any errors occur in the automatic system, representatives from the U.K. Home Office will be on hand to assist.

There are members of staff monitoring the passport channels and what would happen in most cases is the passenger will be directed to normal passport control,” the Home Office said in a statement.