London Gatwick Airport is dealing with a serious security incident which has shuttered one of its two terminals for nearly four hours as the bomb squad investigates a suspicious item that was detected in an item of luggage.
The alarm was raised at around 8:20 am on Friday after an item was flagged as suspicious in a piece of hand luggage at the security checkpoint in Gatwick’s South Terminal, which is the home of British Airways, TUI, Ryanair, and Wizz Air at the airport.
Security officers initially evacuated the security checkpoint and the surrounding area of the terminal before commencing a full-scale evacuation of the entire terminal building.
In a statement posted to social media site X, Gatwick Airport said: “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.”
Trains have been ordered not to stop at Gatwick Airport as the security incident continues, although the North Terminal from where the majority of easyJet flights depart, remains open and is unaffected.
Passengers planning to fly from the South Terminal have been urged to contact their airline for further information as their flights may be delayed or cancelled at short notice.
In a statement, a spokesperson for Sussex Police said its officers were called to deal with 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,” the statement continued. “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 situation is ongoing…
