Iris recognition technology has been introduced at Gatwick Airport’s south terminal after successful trials at other UK airports.
The equipment compares the iris patterns of travellers with those on its database as well as passport details, promising greater security and a swifter passage into the country.
The BBC reports that immigration minister Liam Byrne opened the system at Gatwick, which is similar to the technology being used at Heathrow, Birmingham and Manchester airports.
To register, people undertake a five-minute enrolment, which is free, that stores a person’s unique iris pattern and passport details. Then, when they arrive back in the UK they can have their eyes scanned at one of the booths and bypass the traditional passport control.
In order to register for the Iris Recognition Immigration System (IRIS), visit the IRIS page at the Home Office website, which also provides a breakdown of where the enrolment stations are located at the airports.
