LONDON: London’s Gatwick Airport, the second-busiest in the UK, reopened its South Terminal on Friday after a security alert forced its evacuation and caused significant travel disruptions for thousands of passengers.
Police responded to the incident by deploying a bomb disposal team to investigate a suspected prohibited item found in luggage at the airport’s South Terminal, located 30 miles south of London.
“The earlier security alert has now been resolved and cleared by police,” Gatwick Airport said in a statement. “The South Terminal is reopening to staff and will soon be open to passengers.”
In a post on social media platform X, Gatwick Airport, “We would like to thank everyone for their patience and understanding while this situation was resolved. Safety and security is always our top priority.”
✅ 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.
Trains will also start calling at Gatwick Airport once the terminal is fully reopened. We would like to thank everyone for… pic.twitter.com/yNseHHBPmR
— London Gatwick LGW (@Gatwick_Airport) November 22, 2024
There are some delays and cancellations, passengers should contact their airline for any updates on flights, the post read.
The disruption affected travel plans for thousands, with over 600 flights scheduled to arrive or depart from Gatwick on Friday, representing more than 121,000 passenger seats, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Videos posted on social media showed large crowds of passengers waiting outside the terminal and in the surrounding areas after it was shut down for several hours. Some passengers were provided emergency foil blankets as they waited in the cold.
In a separate incident earlier on Friday, London police carried out a controlled explosion near the US Embassy in south London after a suspect package was discovered. Authorities later confirmed it was a hoax.
