Gatwick Airport South Terminal evacuated over suspect luggage

Marco Pajo

Gatwick Airport's South Terminal has reopened to staff and will soon be open for passengers.

The South Terminal, one of two at the airport, was evacuated at 10:55 GMT on Friday after a suspected prohibited item was found in a piece of luggage.

Trains will begin calling at Gatwick once the terminal has fully reopened.

Passengers are now being warned that their flights could be delayed or cancelled, and that they should check with their airline for updates.

Laurence Kemball-Cook, who was due to fly Portugal, said he and his family faced delays of up to 90 minutes getting through security.

“We were sitting there waiting for a slightly delayed flight and one of the staff rushes over and says ‘you’ve got to evacuate right now’. So I sprinted down the corridor, picked up my partner and the baby, who were changing, and then they were rushing everyone out the main terminal,” he said.

“We are now waiting with no guarantees of when it’s going to leave.

"I can see the plane but it looks like the whole airport is shut and no-one, none of the police, will say anything to us.”

Eddie Mitchell

The airport, in West Sussex, said the evacuation was a precaution while it continued to investigate.

“Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this is ongoing,” the airport spokesperson said.

“We are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.”

Railway services will begin to call at Gatwick once the terminal is fully reopened. Thameslink, Southern and Gatwick Express services were affected.

National Highways said there were long delays from junction nine of the M23 on the approach to Gatwick.

Marco Pajo

Several British Airways departures are delayed by at least one hour and 40 minutes, including flights to Orlando, USA; Funchal, Portugal; and Tenerife, Spain.

Spanish carrier Vueling ordered inbound flights from Barcelona and Seville to turn around and return to their starting airports.

And a Norwegian flight to Bergen departed two hours and seven minutes late.

Local bus services have also been affected and were unable to run to Gatwick, according to Southern.

“We've also been advised of local road closures too, so if you are driving to the airport, please be aware of this when planning your journey,” a spokesperson said.

London Victoria railway station is advising those travelling to avoid heading to Gatwick Airport.

Station announcements and screens are advising the public not to travel towards the area and to wait at Victoria Station.

The North Terminal is unaffected by the evacuation.

Meanwhile, travel journalist Simon Calder said about 100,000 passengers would be flying in and out of Gatwick Airport today.

About half of those passengers would be using the South Terminal, he said.

"Flights are still landing. But if they are landing at the South Terminal, people are going to the gate as normal, but then they are not getting out on the air bridge and walking out into international arrivals, they are being put on buses to the North Terminal to be processed there," he said.

"That will mean lots of crowds building up, and they can't leave the North Terminal to go to the station.”