They will have to undergo biometric checks twice - at check-in and before boarding, reports Lenta.ru citing The Telegraph.
The new security measures are designed to combat criminals and illegal immigrants, who, according to airport management, will be unable to travel with such checks in place. In the opinion of operator BAA, without such checks, these criminal elements could enter the country using a boarding pass purchased by another passenger. Then criminals could freely fly to any British airport without going through passport control.
In response to accusations of collecting confidential information, the authors of the innovation emphasize that passengers' fingerprints will be stored in the airport database for no more than 24 hours and will not be shared with the police or any other third-party organizations.
Fingerprints will also soon have to be provided at Gatwick Airport (the second largest airport in the UK). According to The Telegraph, it is possible that similar security measures will be introduced at all airports in the country in the future.