Iris scanning lands at Gatwick

Cutting queues in the South Terminal

Iris recognition-based biometric technology has been rolled out at Gatwick Airport's South Terminal.

The Iris Recognition Immigration System (Iris) lets registered passengers enter the UK without queuing to see an immigration officer at passport control.

Air travellers enrolled on the scheme can walk up to an automated barrier, look into a camera and, if the system recognises them, enter the UK.

The biometric technology works by photographing and storing a passenger's iris patterns in a database, along with their passport details and immigration status in the UK.

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A one-off enrolment to the Iris system is free and takes about five minutes. Click here for photos of the Iris system in action.

The installation of Iris at Gatwick South completes the rollout of this biometric tech to nine key UK airports – including Birmingham and Manchester airports.