V-Flyer

I had asked this question earlier as part of another post and have just wondered if I should have made it a separate topic!
Does anyone know anything about the closure of the IRIS registration booth at LGW south terminal and when it is likely to reopen please ?
Thank you.
hiljil

Last thing i heard is that the Iris Program is"A Dead Duck" And is being closed down !!!!

I do hope not !I found it worked so well !!!
hiljil

I used to like IRIS - but have to agree that I don't think it will last. At Stanstead last week I asked where it was - and they said they ONLY had the Biometric system. I tried this week to use it in LHR T1, only to be told that 'it was down due to a building contractor cutting through the fibre optic'. Mind you the Biometric was ALSO down.

Basically I don't think there was a business model behind IRIS - they couldn't work out how to charge, whereas the encouraged early renewal to 'go bio' (rather than wait up to 8 years worst case for your passport to expire) is probably quite considerable - and can be made even more considerable by further cuts in staff / delays at borders...

Peter

Thanks for that info, Peter.Guess I had better renew my passport!
Regards
hiljil

I havent heard anywhere that the iris system is being removed, the LGW south booth has been closed, but as I understand it is a temp closure and not perm.

I have been told that the iris booth in the north terminal remains open.

I love this system, it takes seconds to get through immigration providing of course the machine is working! A couple of weeks ago they did have a few issues with the south terminal machine, the person in front of me got trapped in there and required someone from the office to give it that all important kick and jab with a screwdriver - after that, it seemed to work fine y)

Long live IRIS!

Some hope on the horizon then ! The temp closure COULD be over by my next visit to LGW.
Oh. Just seen a pig flying by my window ......

Annoyingly, the North Terminal registration is airside.

I've used IRIS many times & it's brilly willy y)

I hope it's back working when I return from MCO in November.

R-P

Has anyone noticed if the LGW South registration point is open yet?

The note on the UKBA website saying it is closed, has gone.

Yes it has Closed!!!! It is being wound down as the usage is very low !

kensteve wrote:Yes it has Closed!!!! It is being wound down as the usage is very low !

Really? Do you have a source for that?

Hi Darren
If you have been though South terminal at LGW Lately (I have 3 times in the past month) you will see that there is now only ONE IRIS machine there now there used to be Two.It was in service the green light on when i went to use it it said please seek Help.
Officer on Duty told me that it is going to be taken out of service altogether soon. as the Iris Program was not going to be continued
Regards Ken

But I'm flying out of Gatwick, into Heathrow.

The machines at Gatwick being taken out it different form it being closed

The fact that the registration point at gatwick south is Closed and has been for a few months and now only one machine does not look to good

Do not think there is a message there somewhere that IRIS is not going to be around for long ????

I don't know about LGW but I was told by a friend who works at LHR that IRIS will be shut down in the near future v(

I loved sailing through the system and will miss it when it goes.