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An immigration officer at T5 told me yesterday that the IRIS scanners are to be replaced later this year with more of the Biometric passport readers currently being tested. So does this really mean RIP for Iris scanners? Hope this is not the case, as although they were not the working yesterday due to a temp software fault, I have found them to be a pretty effective way of getting through passport control quickly.
Has anyone else heard of the demise of Iris?
Hi Gold-2K,
Thanks for your post. To our knowledge there hasn't been anything official announced on this, but this established forum topic has many posts surrounding the service and its future.
http://www.businesstraveller.com/discussion/topic/Iris-recognition
Last year we asked the Home Office to comment and received the following statement:
"We are keeping the remaining IRIS machines where they are already in place at nine airport terminals in the UK. We are not extending the IRIS scheme at the moment."
If we hear anything further on the future of the service we'll definitely post it on this site.
A working biometric reader @ manchester is rearer than seeing pigs fly.
Never used iris but going down the bio route can only be a step back from what i've seen.
last time i flew into T4 2 weeks ago, yet again they were not working. good riddance to them
I tried to go through the Iris scanner a couple of weeks ago at LHR but it was closed at 7.15am....I would have thought a very busy time...I asked an official why it was closed and was told the people in charge of it had gone on a tea break!!! I will be there tomorrow morning and hope the chaps are not on tea break!!
I usually go thru T4 at around midday. only once in maybe 20 travels have I seen it running, and then only on 1 side of the hall and it had only just been turned on for the day
this is always between 1 and 2 pm
like most things in this country, over expensive non functioning goverment controlled crap!
I must say I will be sorry to see IRIS go. The fun of seeing people go into the booth, bob up and down, back and forth for what seems an age before emerging somewhat after us ordinary plebs in the queue for an immigration officer ....
Seriously, the future has to be the new passport scanners. Firstly there is no registering - if you have a compatible passport you can use the scanners. And secondly they are being rolled out across the EU - I have used them in a number of non-UK airports. IRIS is a one-country-only solution which was over-engineered and too often did not deliver.
Came into T3 on Sunday - both of us went straight through Iris (different scanners) so a success this time!
Arrived T3 from Bangkok ( via Ab D) two weeks ago and tried for the IRIs but ...Kaput...knackered....gone Asked one of the "border people" who was trying to direct the "hoards" of arriving passengers who said they were just broken but seeing them (the machines) looking rather forlorn in the corner I got the impression that they have died.Was a great idea....why?? Since my present PP still has a couple of years to run and disnae have a secret embedded "chip" it rather looks like we will have to run the gauntlet until I/we get a new ones.Emailed the Home office ref above but as yet no answer.Incid after Bangkok/Ab D airports Heathrow reminded me of Bombays excuse for a landing stage ...from the 70s...3rd World....4th more like ...hot,sweaty,congested nightmare...and we are about to hold a ...wot ..an .Olympic Games....it would be funny ...if/but..??
I liked the IRIS system although I managed to use them only once.
If you want my opinion the Biometric Passport reader is far more efficient as more passengers will be eligible to use those. The Iris is only for the frequent flyers, if you consider that for the Olympic Games the most of the passengers will be tourists then will be better to replace them.
It wasn't working in T1 yesterday either, and there was nobody there to ask or complain to. Just had to line up in the normal, long, slow non-EU line
The biometric passport reader is fine if you can use it - i.e. EU or Swiss passport, and over the age of 18. However, IRIS was great because e.g. people with permanent residence/right to abode/regular US visitors can also use it, and bypass the sometimes hideous non-EU line
If IRIS is fully decommissioned, it will start to affect my choice of airport (and, ergo, airline) - avoiding T3, T4 and T5 in particular, due to the number and complexity of non-EU visitors
It is not a reliable service, either closed or one of the 3 cameras not lining up for you, or you for them.
Schiphol have had their Privium scheme up and running for several years though this is a private Company scheme that costs roughly £100 a year. They also have a lounge and parking discounts, and other more localised Dutch perks.
U place one eye only near the scanner after inserting yr membership card, and the whole process takes 30 seconds. When i registered, you see an immigration officer who also runs an Interpol check on you in a private office, so for frequent flyers this is safe and secure, and also good for the airport and border controls.
My passport has a few years to go and is not biometric, but can be replaced should the Iris scheme be taken out.
The recent BT / IATA article on the security process future was very interesting. It would indeed be good to see frequent travellers registered in some way for faster pre-screened controls for the borders and security alike. I am sure i many would be prepared to pay a nominal fee for this...
Arrived T3 from Bangkok ...oops sorry made a mistake.
I am so used to travelling back and forward from T3 that I should of couse said that on last trip we arrived back at Terminal 4.(Etihad..) Anyway the rest of comment still stands.
In my experience, IRIS is rarely operational. Arrived into LHR T1 yesterday afternoon to find huge crowds at the border desks for UK and EU pax. Went through biometric in 10 seconds. Definitely the way forward, although it does mean you have to wait for your luggage to come off the plane!!!
response from Tally Grewal (with thanks)
Chief Immigration Officer
Dear Sir
I am sorry that you were unable to use the IRIS Barrier at Terminal 3 Heathrow on 3/6/11.
I can confirm that both the IRIS barriers were working on 3/6/11.
However, because our arrivals control is being refurbished and ACS gates ( Facial recognition gates) are being installed next to the IRIS barriers, the IRIS area may have been cordoned off due to this refurbishment/installation.
Regards
Tally Grewal
Chief Immigration Officer
Terminal 3
Heathrow Airport
so........................
Does anyone know the format of the new biometric passport system. Will it work with all biometric passports, irrepective of nationality or will it only work with UK of GB & NI passports.
I like the Iris scanners as it it seems to be the only way a holder of a UK of GB & NI passport is able to skip the q's at border control.
Used T3 Twice this week from ORD and LIS, IRIS worked flawlessly both times. Flown to LIS three times in last month and they have biometric passport machines. They are ony for EU Passports and I have only once got through using the first reader selected. Normally my UK passport is refused by 2 or 3 machines until I find one that accepts it. This seems a common experience at Lisbon. IRIS in T3 is superb and it would really confirm for me this administration's contempt for international business and the aviation industry if they allowed the UKBA to stop IRIS for this Euro Bio stuff which is nowhere near as efficient.
Rich (and any other interested parties)
Iris has been withdrawn from LGW South Terminal and will not be coming back, according to an immigration officer there, three weeks ago.
I know you normally travel from LHR, but thought you might like to be aware.
Thanks, yes stopped using LGW when AA moved DFW to LHR. In fact joined IRIS at the LGW office. Confirms my contempt for the anti aviation anti international business policies of the current UK government. Anyone fancy an election?
Move to the right a little, move to the left a little, move up a little, slow and sensitive. It is hit and miss with the Iris Scanner. Hong Kong airport fast and reliable, scan the bar code enter and then scan your finger print. ticket comes out and door opens done.
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