Nationwide border system at UK airports now operating as normal, says Home Office

A nationwide border system issue that hit electronic gates Saturday at British airports and caused chaos for holidaymakers and passengers arriving into the country has been fixed, according to the UK Home Office.

"Following a technical border system fault which affected e-Gate arrivals into the UK, we can confirm all e-Gates are now operating as normal," said a spokesperson for the Home Office, which runs the Border Force.

"We thank those travellers who were impacted for their patience and staff for their work in resolving the issue," the spokesperson said.

Images shared online Saturday showed long queues building at major airports, with many looking to travel ahead of a public holiday Monday and with schools also on half-term breaks.

The failure meant travelers had to have their passports checked manually rather than by machine.

Fed-up travelers took to social media to vent their anger, claiming they had to wait in queues for several hours to have their passport seen.

"We are aware of a nationwide border system issue affecting arrivals into the UK," a Home Office spokesperson told CNN in an earlier statement Saturday.