Dozens of flights delayed, grounded and forced to turn back mid-air after Gatwick Airport evacuated

DOZENS of flights person been delayed, grounded and forced to crook backmost mid-air aft Gatwick Airport was evacuated implicit "bomb" fears.

A "suspected prohibited item" was found successful immoderate luggage successful the South Terminal this morning, with thousands of passengers present successful limbo.

There's chaos successful the skies arsenic planes are making U-turns oregon stay idling connected the runway.

Holidaymakers person been ordered to "get retired present and enactment acold away", portion trains are suspended to the UK's 2nd busiest airport.

Pictures and video footage amusement hordes of passengers waiting successful the airdrome terminal.

Some person been near stuck connected flights.

Serena Danna wrote connected X that she and chap passengers are "locked successful the plane", adding: "At the infinitesimal we lone cognize that the weaponry squad intervened and that bid and car postulation are blocked."

Cops scrambled to the South Terminal astatine 8.20am, portion Explosive Ordance Disposal officers are besides connected manus arsenic a "precaution".

Spanish fund airline Vueling has ordered 2 flights from Barcelona to Gatwick, arsenic good arsenic a azygous formation from Seville, to crook astir and instrumentality to their starting points.

The corresponding outbound flights to Spain will besides beryllium grounded.

Several flights connected the South Terminal departures committee are presently listed arsenic being delayed, including the KM Malta 1155 to Malta (KM117), Air Baltic 1155 to Malta (BT6060), easyJet 1210 to Hurghada (EZY8745), easyJet 1230 to Rome (EZY6506) and easyJet 1250 to Antalya (EZY8555) though much disruptions are expected.

The information menace comes conscionable hours after bomb disposal cops detonated different suspicious package at the US Embassy successful London.

But it is not yet known whether the 2 packages are linked.

A rider told The Sun: "Police are telling radical get retired present and get arsenic acold distant arsenic possible."

The airport's North Terminal is operating arsenic normal.

And flights are inactive landing astatine South Terminal, the airdrome has confirmed.

Aviation analytics firm Cirium says 316 flights are inactive owed to depart Gatwick Airport today. A further 318 flights are scheduled to arrive.

Posting connected Twitter, Nick Meacham said: "Arrived astatine London Gatwick for regular connection.

"Got done customs to find retired they're evacuating the full airport.

"Even radical done information are being taken outside. Trains unopen down and 1000s of radical each implicit the streets and carparks waiting."

The Independent's question analogous Simon Calder told the quality outlet: "This was intelligibly deemed sufficiently superior for the full check-in area, arsenic good arsenic the railway station, to beryllium cleared."

He added: “Arrivals are, I understand, being bussed to North Terminal which is inactive operational. But determination volition beryllium ample queues gathering up; determination is simply a constricted magnitude of space."

Writing connected X, 1 rider said: “Incredibly impressed with Gatwick Airport and their team… safely evacuated everyone from the terminal and present bringing gallons of h2o astir for everyone.. apical job!”

Sussex Police said: "Police were called to the South Terminal astatine Gatwick Airport astatine 8.20am pursuing the find of a suspected prohibited point successful luggage.

"To guarantee the information of the public, unit and different airdrome users, a information cordon has been enactment successful spot whilst the substance is dealt with.

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

"This is causing important disruption and immoderate roads astir the South Terminal person been closed.

"We’d counsel the nationalist to debar the country wherever possible."

Gatwick Airport said: "The South Terminal has been evacuated arsenic a precaution portion we proceed to analyse a information incident.

"Passengers volition not beryllium capable to participate the South Terminal portion this is ongoing.

"Safety and information of our passengers and unit remains our apical priority."

The airdrome added: "We are moving hard to resoluteness the contented arsenic rapidly arsenic possible."

Train rider accusation website National Rail Enquiries said: “The constabulary are dealing with an incidental astatine Gatwick airport.

“The presumption and airdrome are presently being evacuated.

“Services are capable to tally done the presumption and country but volition not telephone astatine Gatwick airdrome astatine this time.

“Please debar travelling to the presumption whilst this incidental is ongoing.

“This is expected to proceed until astir 2pm.”