British Airways criticises Border Force over delays
British Airways has hit out at the UK Border Force over long delays caused by premature closures of passport check stations.
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The airline, which part of the International Consolidated Airlines Group, said long delays were being caused at airports throughout the country as passengers are being forced to queue for hours after some international flights.
The company claimed that electronic gates in Terminal 5 in Heathrow Airport close at 23:00, leaving many passengers stranded at the airport late in the night.
Electronic checkpoints were introduced in 2015 with the aim of streamlining the process so low-risk passengers would face less delays.
BA’s director at Heathrow Raghbir Pattar called on the UK border agencies to be more efficient and flexible.
"It is a constant frustration to us and to our customers" BA
"It is a constant frustration to us and to our customers that after a long flight they have to stand in queues, sometimes for over an hour, just to get back into the country,” Pattar said.
"And it is a dreadful welcome for visitors to the UK... It adds insult to injury when you're stuck in a queue but can see numerous gates which just aren't being used."
The Home Office dismissed BA’s claims however, arguing that the vast majority of passengers are processed in 25 minutes or less.
"More than 99% of British and European passengers arriving at Heathrow are dealt with within 25 minutes,” it said in a statement.
“For passengers from outside the European Economic Area, 87% of passengers have been dealt with within 45 minutes.”