Gatwick Airport reopens South Terminal after it was evacuated when prohibited item was found in luggage: Stranded passengers face ongoing delays and cancellations after flights were diverted
Gatwicks south terminal is reopening after being evacuated when a prohibited item was found in someones luggage.
Gatwicks south terminal is reopening after being evacuated when a prohibited item was found in someones luggage.
The UKs second busiest airport was closed to new passengers for several hours today as Sussex Police deployed its bomb disposal unit following the discovery.
Officers were first called at just after 8am, and although the issue has now been resolved passengers are being warned of ongoing delays and cancellations.
Police did not elaborate further on the nature of the discovery - but are understood not to be linking the incident to an earlier bomb scare at the US Embassy in London.
The incident has caused massive disruption to outbound and inbound flights, while train and bus services are not stopping at the airport. Meanwhile, the monorail station at the North Terminal connecting to the South is packed with people.
Spanish airline Vueling turned planes back towards their original destinations, while other flights were pushed back because there are no passengers to fly.
According to aviation analytics website Cirium, 316 flights were scheduled to depart from Gatwick Airport today - more than 60,600 seats. A further 318 flights of 61,400 seats were scheduled to arrive.
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Passengers evacuating Gatwick Airport on Friday morning after police were called to reports of a suspected prohibited item of luggage
Passengers in foil blankets stand outside Gatwicks South Terminal on Friday after a suspect piece of baggage sparked a security alert
Passengers traipse along a footpath from the South Terminal at Gatwick to the North as the incident unfolded
An armed police officer on the road close to Gatwick Airport earlier today
Passengers stand outside Gatwick Airports South Terminal in the freezing cold following the security alert
Traffic jams on the M23 close to Gatwick Airport earlier today
Spanish airline Vueling turned a Gatwick-bound flight from Barcelona back towards the Spanish coast after the airport was evacuated
The airport released a statement at 2.44pm which said: The earlier security alert has now been resolved and cleared by police.
The south terminal is reopening to staff and will be open to passengers shortly.
It added: There are some delays and cancellations. Passengers should contact their airline for any updates on flights.
Thousands of passengers were seen outside the terminal and the surrounding area in videos posted online after the terminal shut for several hours.
Emergency foil blankets were distributed to some of the passengers who were waiting in the cold, social media pictures showed.
Witnesses told MailOnline they had seen police with explosive patches on their jackets and sniffer dogs entering the terminal.
One passenger told a MailOnline reporter: Nothing much is happening here. The passengers know nothing.
Gatwick Airport said in an earlier statement on X: A large part of the South Terminal has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident.
Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this is ongoing.
Safety and security of our passengers and staff remains our top priority. We are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.
Police said the discovery of the package, understood to be in the security screening area of the South Terminal, necessitated the creation of a cordon for the safety of passengers and staff.
Video shared on social media showed scores of passengers walking outside the terminal as security staff probed the incident.
Travellers were handed water bottles and foil blankets as they waited in the cold for further news.
Those who were on planes bound for the South Terminal faced a wait as airport bosses figured out what to do with them. Many have since been transported to the North Terminal for onward travel.
Italian Wizz Air passenger Serena Danna said she was locked in the plane after her flight landed. She was later transferred to the other building.
Passengers and staff run for the exits at Gatwick airport as it was evacuated earlier today
Armed police directing traffic at a roundabout close to Gatwick Airport earlier today
Those who were airside were sent to Gate 31 at the farthest possible edge of the airport for safety instead
Passengers were seen wrapped up in foil blankets handed out by Gatwick staff as they waited out the security alert in the cold
Passengers outside Gatwicks South Terminal after the evacuation on Friday morning at around 10.30am
Passenger Andy Betts, 50, was meant to be heading off for a long weekend in Rome with his family.
Mr Betts, from West Morley in Kent, told MailOnline: We were meant to be taking off at 12.30. We were just about to go through security at 10.30am when they closed the security checks area and took us outside. They said it was a complete evacuation.
He said some airport staff had since gone back inside - along with police bearing explosive patches on their jackets. Two of the officers had sniffer dogs.
Gatwick has brought out some water for us - when the suns out its alright, he added optimistically.
We saw police with explosive on their jacket go in - two of them had sniffer dogs. Its just one of these things, isnt it.
Taya Willis, 30, was due to fly to Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, for a weekend break at 11.25am this morning.
The teacher from Merton, London, said she saw people running after the evacuation was ordered
I was there for about 20 minutes and then was suddenly told my a member of staff that everyone had to leave as the terminal was being evacuated, its very scary.
No one can leave or come out. Lots of people were running, all the shops have been closed up.
It looks like Covid again. Everything is just deserted - Ive never seen anything like it.
Armed police at the entrance to the departures area at Gatwick Airports South Terminal (left) after passengers were told to evacuate this morning (right)
Passengers filter their way down the stairs, urged on by police officers, as Gatwick Airport is evacuated
Passengers outside Gatwicks south terminal after a suspected prohibited item was discovered in luggage
Another said he got through customs until he was then ordered to leave the terminal.
He wrote on X: Arrived at London Gatwick for routine connection. Got through customs to find out theyre evacuating the entire airport.
Even people through security are being taken outside. Trains shut down and 1000s of all over the streets and carparks waiting.
Cambridge passenger Jon Hunt, who had been due to fly to Florida, told the BBC: We were guided downstairs, nobody told us why. We were waiting for about 20 minutes on the check-in floor before someone said everyone here has to leave.
There are now hundreds of people standing in the cold not knowing whats going on.
Armed police were pictured inside the airport guarding the entrance to the Departures area, which has been blocked with a large shutter.
It came after a controlled explosion was carried out at the US Embassy in London earlier today. No link has been established between the incidents.
Witnesses said roads around the embassy were closed to traffic and armed police officers and the fire service are at the scene in Nine Elms.
A loud bang was reported in the area shortly after a cordon was put into place.
The Met confirmed this was a controlled explosion as part of their investigation.
A police cordon near the US Embassy in Nine Elms, London, where Metropolitan Police officers carried out a controlled explosion after reports of a suspicious package
Another alleged bomb scare came at Glasgows Buchanan Bus Station, where EOD officers were deployed to carry out a controlled explosion on Wednesday
A spokesperson for the Met Police said of the embassy incident: Were aware of speculation online about an incident in the vicinity of the US Embassy in Nine Elms.
Cordons are in place in the area as a precaution while officers investigate a suspect package.
We can confirm that the loud bang reported in the area a short time ago was a controlled explosion carried out by officers.
Enquiries are still ongoing and cordons will remain in place for the time being.
And that followed an alleged bomb scare at Glasgows Buchanan Bus Station on Wednesday. Police were called at 1.10pm and a controlled explosion was carried out.
Train services were halted while performances at the adjacent Royal Concert Hall were cancelled and the nearby Glasgow Caledonian University was evacuated.
Three men have since been arrested in connection with the possession of offensive weapons.
