Story perspectives

UK rolls out contactless e-gates, speeding passport checks 25%

By Drooid · Oct 6, 2026, 10:28 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

The UK Home Office announced passengers can use airport e-gates without showing passports.
East Midlands Airport launched the UK's first contactless e-gate system on Tuesday.
The e-gates use facial recognition to verify travel and passport data before opening.
Testing showed the contactless process is up to 25% faster than passport checks.
Travelers requiring extra checks must insert a passport or see a Border Force officer, who will continue monitoring e-gates.

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Story summary

The UK Home Office announced passengers can use airport e-gates without showing passports.
East Midlands Airport launched the UK's first contactless e-gate system on Tuesday.
The e-gates use facial recognition to verify travel and passport data before opening.
Testing showed the contactless process is up to 25% faster than passport checks.
Travelers requiring extra checks must insert a passport or see a Border Force officer, who will continue monitoring e-gates.