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UK Airports Introduce Contactless e-Gates to Speed Up Border Checks

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Travelers arriving in the UK will soon be able to pass through airport border checks faster without taking out their passports. A new contactless border system has started being tested at East Midlands Airport in England. The system uses facial recognition technology to check passengers as they arrive, allowing them to enter the country more quickly.

without taking out= using the preposition 'without' followed by a gerund to describe an action that is avoidedallowing them to enter= a participle clause expressing the result of the action described in the main clause

When passengers walk up to the new e-gate, a camera takes their photo. The computer system compares this image with official travel, passport, and immigration records. If everything matches, the gate opens automatically. If the system needs more information, passengers must scan their physical passport or speak with a Border Force officer. Tests show that this new contactless process is up to 25 percent faster than scanning a paper passport.

up to 25 percent faster= 'up to' specifies the maximum upper limit of the speed comparison

The system is currently open to British citizens at East Midlands Airport. The UK government plans to update all airport e-gates by early 2027 and allow other eligible nationalities to use them. Officials plan to expand the technology to major airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick, and Manchester. However, officials advise all travelers to carry their passports with them at all times in case extra checks are required.

in case extra checks are required= 'in case' introduces a clause expressing a precaution for a potential future event

Learning Notes

Grammar Patterns

PatternMeaning
without taking outusing the preposition 'without' followed by a gerund to describe an action that is avoided
allowing them to entera participle clause expressing the result of the action described in the main clause
up to 25 percent faster'up to' specifies the maximum upper limit of the speed comparison
in case extra checks are required'in case' introduces a clause expressing a precaution for a potential future event

Vocabulary

WordMeaning
facial recognitionbiometric identification by scanning a person's face and matching it against a library of known faces
immigrationmigration into a place (especially migration to a country of which you are not a native in order to settle there)
eligiblequalified for or allowed or worthy of being chosen

Language Insights

  • •In British English, 'e-gate' refers to automated border control barriers at ports and airports that use biometric data.
  • •Border Force is the law enforcement command of the UK Home Office responsible for frontline border control operations.
  • •The term 'contactless' originally became common with payment cards, but is now widely used for biometric facial recognition systems that require no physical scanning.

Practice

Check what you just learned.

  1. The UK government plans to update all airport e-gates by early 2027 and allow other   nationalities to use them.

  2. What happens if the new e-gate system needs more information from a passenger?

Source: Euronews Travel