25% Faster, No Passport: UK Airports Start Rolling Out eGates with Facial Recognition

UK airports are beginning to roll out new contactless eGates that use facial recognition technology to verify passengers’ identities without requiring them to present their passports at the gate.

East Midlands Airport is among the first airports to introduce the new system. According to the UK Home Office, the technology is expected to allow passengers to pass through the eGates up to 25% faster than when using a passport.

The contactless gates use facial technology to check a passenger’s identity, allowing the process to take place without physically scanning a passport at the gate.

The rollout is part of a wider move to modernize border controls at UK airports. The Home Office says all airport eGates are expected to be contactless by early 2027.

For passengers, the change is intended to make the airport border process quicker and reduce the need to handle travel documents during the eGate check.

The move comes as airports and border authorities continue to invest in biometric technology, with facial recognition increasingly being used to automate identity checks and speed up passenger processing.

Hamad Airport implements facial recognition technology. Photo: Shutterstock

In July, Hamad International Airport and Qatar Airways announced the launch of Fast Pass, allowing eligible passengers to use facial recognition instead of a boarding pass. 

Before that, in November 2025, Indonesian airports became the first in the world to launch a corridor that enables passengers to pass without stopping or showing a passport.

Emirates also introduced facial recognition for its passengers at Dubai Airport, while the United States is working on implementing similar facial recognition systems.