Gatwick Airport latest: Police call in bomb squad after terminal evacuated as passengers face huge delays

The closure at Gatwick South Terminal only affects the “landside” area before the security checkpoint. Passengers who were “airside” at the time the incident began have been departing on flights with British Airways, Wizz Air and other airlines.

BA’s flights to Cancun in Mexico and Orlando in Florida have departed, albeit around an hour late. It is believed that not all the passengers booked on the flights were on board. The latest check-in time for the British Airways flight to Orlando, for example, was 10.20am, long after closure took effect. It is likely, therefore, that passengers who had not already checked in and passed through the security checkpoint were on board.

Airlines are likely to take a flexible attitude to passengers who were left behind, allowing them to transfer to later flights without penalty.

Passengers have been seen wrapped in emergency foil blankets to shield themselves from the cold as they wait at Gatwick Airport.

Pictures posted on social media show the travellers anxiously waiting for updates amid travel chaos at the south terminal.

Passengers are being let off planes at Gatwick Airport due to cold and hunger, a fellow traveller has said.

In a post on X this afternoon, they said: “Update – people are being let off planes, but only because they are cold or hungry and it’s not moving again, I’ve been informed.”

Gatwick Airport’s north terminal has been unaffected by the ongoing incident at the south terminal.

A large part of the south terminal building, meanwhile, has been evacuated.

Travellers flying from the south terminal have been unable to check-in since the incident at Gatwick Airport began.

Passengers are facing huge delays, with flight disruption already underway.

Gatwick airport rail station, which normally handles over 50,000 passengers a day, is closed. It is built into South Terminal, which has been evacuated. Trains are passing through without stopping.

North Terminal is functioning normally, but has no access to the rail station.

However, there is an alternative station on the main line from London and East Croydon: Horley, which is about a 20-minute walk from North Terminal. It is a slightly tricky journey and not recommended for those with heavy luggage.

Flight disruption is now under way at Gatwick. The Spanish budget airline Vueling has ordered two flights from Barcelona to Gatwick, as well as a single flight from Seville, to turn around and return to their starting points.

The corresponding outbound flights to Spain will also be grounded.

Police have been seen arriving at Gatwick Airport.

A passenger reported officers arriving at the scene at 11.53am.

Police have revealed that a bomb squad has been called in after a “suspected prohibited item” was discovered in luggage at Gatwick Airport, causing the evacuation of a large part of the South Terminal.

In a statement issued on Friday morning, Sussex Police said: “Police were called to the South Terminal at Gatwick Airport at 8.20am on Friday (22 November) following the discovery of a suspected prohibited item in luggage.

“To ensure the safety of the public, staff and other airport users, a security cordon has been put in place whilst the matter is dealt with.

“As a precaution, an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team is being deployed to the airport.

“This is causing significant disruption and some roads around the South Terminal have been closed. We’d advise the public to avoid the area where possible.”

The captain of a plane waiting at Gatwick Airport has told passengers the incident is over a suspicious package, according to media reports.

One of the passengers on a plane waiting on the tarmac was interviewed by LBC and said to the broadcaster that this is what they were told.