Heathrow fingerprint plan suspended

Airport operator BAA claims the measure is needed to distinguish domestic passengers from international ones.

But the data protection watchdog said the plan may breach British law.

The BBC's Tom Symonds said talks were now under way between the Information Commissioner and BAA, which insists it wants to bring in checks in the future.

Data encrypted

Under the plans, prints would be checked at the gate to try to ensure the person who checked in was the same person who boarded the aircraft.

The move would allow domestic and international passengers to mingle in the terminal's departure lounge.

The idea behind the fingerprinting is to make it impossible for a terrorist to arrive at Heathrow on a transit flight, then exchange boarding passes with a colleague in the departure lounge and join a domestic flight to enter the UK without being checked by immigration authorities.