Hi the checks have been geting done for past 2-3 months now, they also take a picture of you before you leave england

The new requirement for API (Advanced Passenger Information) only applies to visitors to Spain at the moment.

It is not only biometric passports that can be scanned, but also the old style machine readable ones.

luci

You can tell I haven't flown since last summer eh

they didnt take a pitcure of me that I know of?

Which airport did you fly from? Teesside have done it for years, they even did it on my school trip in 1990, God I feel old! East Midlands did it when we went to Fuerteventura at Christmas.

We went to Turkey in May and though all passengers passports were scanned we had no longer to queue than usual.

In case of any confusion, there are two quite separate issues here.

Advance Passenger Information (API) became a requirement on 13 June for all outbound air travellers from the UK & Ireland to Spain. We have a separate discussion topic on that ... please click here. Some in the media and travel industry were predicting airport chaos as a result, but so far those fears have proved unfounded. Spain is the first EU country to introduce API, but other nations are likely to follow in due course.

The latest predictions of airport chaos appearing in the media today refer to enhanced passport checks for all inbound travellers to UK airports, as part of increased security measures being implemented by the Home Office's Border & Immigration Agency. Passport checks used to take around 3-4 seconds per passenger. But laser scanning of biometric passports may take around 8-10 seconds per passenger, because of the additional information which these documents contain. Scanners are not yet in place at all UK airports. These increased measures by the BIA are aimed at detecting forged passports, identifying criminals and illegal immigrants on arrival in the UK, and providing increased protection for the general public.

David

i flew from manchester to Dalaman they scanned my passport which they have been doing for years but did not take my photo

what information do they get when they scan your passport or put it through a reader

Basically all the information that is on the back page of your passport (the one with your photo on)

thank you