Videos shared by travellers online showed long queues at Gatwick airport after a number of UK airports faced problems with electronic passport gates.
Passengers arriving in the UK had their passports checked by hand instead of the automated machines due to IT problems, causing hours-long delays. A Gatwick spokesperson said the problem started on Friday evening but that queues had eased on Saturday morning.
The disruption comes at the start of a bank holiday weekend, when millions are expected to take to the roads and public transport. Disruption was also affecting travel on ferries between Dover and Calais, as a problem with IT systems in French passport control was delaying arrivals into France