International airline passengers arriving at Heathrow near London and other UK airports faced long queues at immigration checkpoints on Tuesday night after the UK Border Force reported a nationwide computer outage, officials said.
The country’s largest airport, Heathrow, said on social media at 9.15pm: “Border Force are currently experiencing a nationwide issue affecting travelers traveling through the border.”
The issue also affects Manchester Airport, Gatwick Airport near London and Belfast International Airport In Northern Ireland. The total number of affected airports is unknown.
Officials say the root of the problem lies in Border Guard’s “electronic gate””, an immigration checkpoint responsible for processing travelers in transit.
Officials at Gatwick and Manchester airports said there were no flight delays or cancellations as a result of the power outage, but said they were working with Border Force officials to assist passengers experiencing delays at entry.
It’s unclear when the outage began or what caused it. An emailed query to Britain’s Home Office, which manages Border Force, was not immediately responded to on Tuesday.
Image at Crowded, stalled lines appear on social media In front of a row of gates at Heathrow Airport, underneath a sign that says “UK Borders”.
