Major London airport evacuated due to ‘suspicious item’ in luggage: Are flights cancelled?

Most of the airport’s busy South Terminal has been evacuated and police are on the scene.

Part of London’s Gatwick Airport has been evacuated after police found a suspicious item in a piece of luggage.

Flights have continued to land and depart from the affected South Terminal during the evacuation. There have been some delays but it is not clear if these are due to the evacuation.

Why was Gatwick airport evacuated?

Authorities were called to the terminal at 8.20am local time after the discovery of a “suspected prohibited item,” Sussex Police said in a statement.

“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,” police said in a statement. “As a precaution, an EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) team is being deployed to the airport.”

No one will be able to enter the South Terminal until the incident is resolved, the airport said in a statement on X.

The train station serving Gatwick has also been closed, Britain’s rail network operator said. Social media posts also show the roads around the airport severely congested.

“We are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible,” the airport said.