A nationwide IT glitch in the UK Border Force's e-gate system caused significant delays and chaos at major UK airports.

Passengers at airports including Heathrow, Stansted, Gatwick, Edinburgh, and Manchester faced long queues due to manual passport checks.

The technical issue led to passengers being stuck on planes and waiting for extended periods with limited access to facilities.

The IT outage added to travel woes already present from ongoing train strikes across the UK.

The Home Office has issued an apology and is working to resolve the situation, though the cause and duration of the outage remain unknown.

Affected travelers are advised to seek updates from airport officials amidst the border control disruptions.