East Midlands Airport becomes first in Britain to let passengers enter using their face instead of a passport

From the Newshound archive · first published 6 October 2026 · last updated 7 October 2026.

Border Force has launched a facial recognition system at East Midlands Airport that opens e-gates automatically, without travellers needing to place their passport on a reader. The technology photographs passengers as they approach, checking the image against immigration, travel and passport records in seconds. Testing found the contactless system cuts processing time by up to 25% compared with the existing process, and a full rollout to all UK airports using e-gates is expected by early 2027.

The scheme is initially available to British nationals only, though an expansion to cover all passengers remains possible at a later stage.

Travellers must still carry their passport, as it may be required if they are referred to a Border Force officer or additional checks become necessary.