A computer fault at several major US airports left hundreds of holidaymakers queuing for “about two hours” to enter the country on Monday evening.
US Customs and Border Protection said on its Twitter page that there was “no indication the disruption was malicious in nature”.
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The department said it was still able to screen travellers using “national security-related databases”. However, holidaymakers used social media to complain about severe delays.
An image shared by one Twitter user shows hundreds of travellers queueing at JFK Airport. The user claimed, in another tweet, to have waited about an hour to clear customs and immigration, and suggested other people were left queuing for even longer.
Engadget says many airlines rely on “ancient reservation systems” and “wonky airport tech”.
Even modern systems such as the Amadeus Altea are prone to random failures, the website says. In September, a glitch in the system caused flight delays across the globe.