Gatwick airport ‘suspect package’ evacuation causes misery for holidaymakers as thousands hit by flight delays and cancellations

Staff astatine the South Terminal discovered a “suspected prohibited item” astatine 8.20am connected Friday, prompting a important constabulary cognition and leaving passengers incapable to cheque successful for 4 hours.

Two radical were detained by constabulary but subsequently allowed to proceed with their journeys aft a weaponry disposal squad made the bundle safe, Sussex Police said.

The airdrome released a connection astatine 2.44pm which said: “The earlier security alert has present been resolved and cleared by police.

“The southbound terminal is reopening to unit and volition beryllium unfastened to passengers shortly.”

People astatine the airdrome described “chaotic” scenes arsenic passengers were incapable to committee flights.

By mid-afternoon, officials astatine the airdrome said the information alert had been resolved and a information cordon astir the terminal was lifted.

The disruption caused airlines to cancel a fig of flights to and from the southbound terminal, including astatine slightest 16 departures and 13 arrivals by British Airways.

A spokesperson for Gatwick airport told the BBC that determination had been “around 40 cancellations” pursuing the disruption retired of implicit 240 scheduled flights.

A BA formation to Orlando departed 1 hr and 49 minutes late.

Denice Sealy, who was travelling to Malta for her birthday, was successful the information enactment but was told to crook astir and spell outside.

“When we got extracurricular we didn’t cognize wherever to spell due to the fact that determination were nary unit there,” Ms Sealy said.

“Eventually, we conscionable walked on to a car park.

“With regards to passengers and communication, it’s been implicit chaos.”

Denice Sealy, who was travelling to Malta for her birthday, said they were promised to beryllium enactment connected a shuttle autobus to the northbound terminal but it did not arrive.

“In the end, a load of america ended up walking from the southbound terminal to the northbound terminal, and it was freezing,” she said.

One video posted connected X by erstwhile BBC writer Deborah Cohen showed passengers being fixed foil blankets to support lukewarm successful acold temperatures.

Train services were besides concisely suspended, arsenic the railway presumption is attached to the Terminal, but person since resumed.

The airdrome said successful a statement: “We would similar to convey everyone for their patience and knowing portion this concern was resolved. Safety and information is ever our apical priority.

“There are immoderate delays and cancellations, passengers should interaction their hose for immoderate updates connected flights.”

Gatwick is the UK’s 2nd busiest airdrome and handles astir 46 cardinal passengers each year.

Aviation analytics website Cirium said 316 flights were scheduled to depart from the airdrome connected Friday, with a full of much than 60,600 seats.

A further 318 flights were scheduled to arrive, with much than 61,400 seats.