E-gates at Brussels Airport back in service

The new automated border control gates at Brussels Airport, or e-gates, are working again after breaking down for a short period, says a spokesperson for the airport. The e-gates were officially opened on Friday, but technical problems forced them to shut down at the weekend, report various Belgian media.

Technicians were able to fix the problem, and the e-gates were up and working again shortly after noon on Sunday. Brussels Airport’s new automated gates are used to verify the identity of EU citizens arriving from outside the Schengen zone based on facial recognition technology.

The breakdown caused no disruption at the airport, as travellers could still pass through the gates manned by border patrol officers. "This is a test phase, after all, so a few growing pains are to be expected," a spokesperson for the federal police pointed out.

The automatic checkpoints cost €2.4 million.