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Passengers returning from overseas to Heathrow will be able to pay to jump the immigration queue under a new fast-track system.
A trial is to be introduced next year at the airport's Terminal 4 that will allow travellers without biometric passports to pay to use automated gates.
A charge, reportedly up to £50, would be imposed, though the Home Office stressed today that the size of the fee had yet to be decided.
It is the latest add-on charge to increase the cost of travelling. Luton airport already allows passengers to jump the security queue if they pay extra, while British Airways will introduce charges on Wednesday for passengers to choose their seats.
Now BAA, Heathrow's owner and Britain's largest airport operator, is preparing a scheme with the UK Border Agency that would introduce new automated barriers for immigration checks. At present, three UK airports have biometric gates — Stansted, Bristol and Manchester — with the facility expected to be rolled out to seven other terminals.
Around 90,000 British passengers a year already avoid immigration queues at Heathrow by undergoing an IRIS test — which matches their eyes against information on a database — while presenting their biometric passport.
Biometric passports, which contain a computer chip storing details about the holder's face — such as the distances between eyes, nose, mouth and ears —have been used in the UK since March 2006 and are now issued as standard when passports are reissued. Some 19.7 million UK travellers now have biometric passports.
The new proposal would allow the 28 million Britons who hold old-style passports to register to use automated gates at Terminal 4.
Under a system called “automated clearance system plus” (ACS+), they would pay to “enrol” at Heathrow, with data about their facial features being stored on computer and matched to their passport number.
They would then be able to pass quickly through the automated gates on their return to the UK rather than being forced to queue to have their passports checked manually which can take up to 45 minutes.
A Home Office spokesman said: “New automatic gates using biometric information provide effective security and faster checks for legitimate travellers.
“There are no plans to scrap IRIS. ACS+ is in development at this time and we anticipate that more information on the scheme will be available by the end of the year.”
“Trusted travellers” from outside the European Union, such as business executives, would also be able to sign up for the scheme.
Passengers who hold biometric passports would not pay. EU travellers with biometric documents would also be exempt from charges.
The alternative to paying the charge would be for travellers to renew their passport early, which costs from £77.50 for it to be posted out to £129.50 for a same-day service.
Heathrow says the charge will help to pay the £7 million cost of new hi-tech gates. “It would be an economic decision for the passenger to make,” a spokesman said.
Reader views (27)
After my recent nightmarish experience of the security system at Gatwick's North Terminal, where now typically (if fellow Twitterers are to be believed)45mins to an hour to be processed is the norm. Travelling to Luxembourg for the day so took the tiniest of handbags containing a pocket camera, hairbrush, phone and 3 teeny make-up tubes in plastic bag (which was taken aside for extra scanning), no cabin bags... but I made the error of wearing a wired bra body, which I didn't realise made me a terror suspect! A 10 min electronic body search ensued! Could this aggressive hassling being done to pave the way for charging £50 for fast track escapes as well as entries?
Regrettably, I have another trip scheduled in December, from then on I will try my utmost to avoid flying out of HMP Britain. However, for my next exit, I'm contemplating either traveling naked, or wear a see-through number (ideal attire for Amsterdam methinks), to prove that apart from my considerable assets, I have nothing else to hide. So sick of this country - Tories, PLEASE stop this nonsense when you get in!!!
- Carol, Brighton
Flog a duck! Equality and fairness are sort-of Magna carta things! We will have fast track justice next, even cash for questions in the lords!? Where are the decendents of Cromwell, a few terms as PM with a new Cromwell might sort this out, for all our sakes!?
- Magna Carta, Assizes, Dorchester
I get very frustrated by the signs at airports saying "Tougher border checks sometimes mean bigger queues"
NO! Tougher border checks mean you should employ more staff.
Why out of all the European countries do the UK still have persistently the longest immigration queues around? Why can other EU contries simply glance at the UK passport, whereas our own UK immigration officials persist with the security theatre of scanning and closely examining every single passport coming through, even if they are UK passports?
- Mark Lee, Vauxhall
Don't we already pay for this service with the world's most expensive air taxes and fees added to the cost of the ticket. Don't forget that this system will cost BAA less as they won't have to pay for staff. IRIS is good - but slow (when it works). But one kiosk in Terminal 1, you just give up when there is more than a few people in the queue.
Finally, what about the confusion of where and when you can use what system? IRIS in some LHR terminals who have pre-registered, ACS in a few other airports for newer passport holders, and now ACS+ only at Heathrow Terminal 4. What a mess.
This would work if it was for no extra cost (for EU passports only - make the others pay as we do in their country), and that there was one system used in the majority of UK airports.
- Mike, Ealing, London
RyanAir Barnet Council and Heathrow have only one thing in common to fleece the punter out of their dosh. Whatever happened to old fashioned 'service'.
- Dhan Raj, Basildon
You want to fast track through immigration? No doubt you have something to hide. Which in turn means you're a dangerous threat to the state security!
- Chaz, London, UK
They used to have have different gates for UK passport holders, the EU put a stop to that.
- Tom, Watford (UK)
"before a woman finally got the system to recognise her"
What people don't realise is while their passports last 10 years, embedded RFID chips are only guaranteed to correctly operate for 2 years. This means that if the RFID chip fails, you have to get a new passport at your expense.
Another nice little earner for this bankrupt country!
- John Smith, Londonistan, EUSSR
The point has been missed.Uk/Bio holders should be processd normally. The exceptions, ie immigrants are the ones who should be paying the £50.00. They can then reclaim this amount when they sign on for benefits !
- Mark Armstrong, london. uk
On my way back from Portugal I watched the IRIS system in operation as I was standing in the 'regular' queue. I think it was almost all of our rugby tour team was processed before a woman finally got the system to recognise her! That's a ration of 21 to 1.
- Frank, Home Counties, England.
Is BAA owned by Ryanair now? Or have the management just been on one of their training courses and starte d dreaming up new "solutions"?
- Bob, Cheam
Anything for a quick buck!!
- Jon, London
So now we see the truth. Rather than the new Border Agency being about finally getting our out of control immigration system, which let's just about anyone in anyway, back into line, it actually exists just to make more money for a Government that has run out of our cash to waste and is desperately searching for new ways to pick our pockets.
Typical Labour!
- Matthew, London, UK
Let me see if I understand the position correctly. Despite employing an extra one million people in the public service and increasing expenditure to a level that has virtually bankrupted the country and resulted in a 30% devaluation of the pound, we still cannot operate a sensible border control service without imposing extra charges.
I suppose the only surprise now is that so many people want to return to this country once they have left it.
- J Peters, London
Whoa there angry people! So a guy pays £50 to fast track immigration queues?...he'll still be waiting for his bags, then waiting for his driver/taxi then sitting in a queue on a clogged-up the M4 and A4... and that £50 spent to save 10 mins will look like very bad value!.....no big deal!
- Paddy, London
So the usual whingers are writing in. For the record, it will be free (just like in Malaysia) for those with new biometric passports. As for IRIS it works extremely well for those that can follow on screen instructions. The queue for luggage at Heathrow varies. Sometimes it can take some time other times its very short indeed. Why do you all have so much time/inclination to moan?
- Mark, London
Yes, Reuben, let's all stay at home and become insular, narrow-minded, and crotchety, eh?
- Jock, London
Iris is free for anyone who resides in the UK. You can sign up for it in about 10 minutes. I use it all the time and it takes about 10 seconds to get through immigration at Heathrow.
- Robert, Philadelphia USA
Wake up folks, you know what this means dont you!? Sure you do. For those of us who don't want to pay £50 then the queues will get longer and slower. This is a business opportunity. Teash your day or cough up £50. In the unlikely event that BAA's monopoly is broken up then if you can fly from a non BAA airport.
- Steve, Brentford
This service is FREE in Malaysia if you hold an eletronic Malaysian passport with a built-in chip. Typical BAA profiteering....
- Edwin, South London
what's the point you still have to wait 30 minutes for your luggage anyway... !
- Thierry, london, UK
So the holiday maker returning from his two weeks in spain flat broke will have to queue.While the rich walk through mabye with the eatra money they get from it they could employ afew more staff to get the rest of us through.
- David Smith, Croydon
I've seen IRIS in action. It wasn't at all impressive as it took a sad guy full 2 minutes to get past this eye-scanner. How long does it take an immigration officer to look at your British passport?
- Gucha, London, UK
The Border Agncy seems to have turned itself into a bunch of spivs. Why can't we just have public servants who do their properly job as a service to the public? If they did it well and fairly, anyone trying to 'jump the queue' and avoid scrutiny should be viewed with suspicion and investigated, not seen as a business opportunity and waived through.
- J, London
Repeating history - Air travel is becoming a rich persons game. next, rail travel.
- Paul B, London
On the basis that 'if you can afford to travel you can afford to pay' this would appear to be a good idea.
But I would prefer that UK PLC get this money not some foreign owned junta organisation that ships the profits back to its parent country.
If BAA wants to take money from this scheme then it must pay, in full, for the Crossrail extension to Heathrow and give London taxpayers, including those about to be taxed even more on income and property, a break.
- James, City of London
£50 to use a fast track gate?
Next month it will be £100 to use a fast fast track gate.
By Crimbo it will be £200 to use a fast fast fast track gate.
Much better to stay at home and avoid all the airport hassle and rip-off.
- Reuben Camara, Morecambe Compound, EUSSR
