Travelers flying through the United Kingdom may soon be able to keep their passports stowed away when crossing the border—but only at select locations.
The UK is deploying new contactless border control checkpoints at its 13 international airports, using the Amadeus Seamless Gates developed by the global travel technology company Amadeus.
Available for UK citizens, the new system will use facial recognition from images of travelers when arriving at an eGate. The biometric data is then verified against pre-stored passport, immigration, and travel information, allowing the traveler to proceed once verification is completed.
While the initial rollout includes only UK citizens, eligible foreign nationals will be able to cross using the contactless technology in a later phase. These may include citizens of the European Union, the US, or other nations with Electronic Travel Authorization (ETA)—a form of preclearance for visa-exempt foreign travelers.
Travelers who are flagged and require further checks may be redirected to a UK Border Force officer or asked to physically scan their passport.
The project is a part of a long-term contract between Amadeus, the UK Border Force and Home Office, and had an initial pilot program that kicked off on Oct. 6.
“By using state‑of‑the‑art technology, we are making journeys smoother and faster, all while fully maintaining the UK’s robust border security,” Phil Douglas, Director General of UK Border Force, said in a statement. “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.”
The remaining eGates at UK airports will gradually transition into the contactless technology, with full deployment expected early next year. The 13 participating airports include Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow, London City, Luton, Manchester, Newcastle and Stansted.