UK airports, including Heathrow and Gatwick, were hit by a nationwide IT glitch affecting passport e-gates, leading to significant delays.

The technical issue resulted in up to 90-minute queues and necessitated manual processing of travelers.

Eurostar services in Paris were also disrupted due to the IT problems.

The e-gates were restored around midnight with the Home Office stating that border security was not compromised during the outage.

This incident marks the second e-gate malfunction in two weeks, occurring after a recent strike by Border Force workers.

Concerns are growing over potential impacts on upcoming summer holiday travel and the implications for passenger compensation.

Authorities stress the importance of learning from this disruption to prevent future breakdowns and ensure a resilient border system.