Sussex Police were called to the airport at 8.20am on Friday (22 November) and officers soon erected a security cordon around the area. 

Shortly before midday, Sussex Police said in a statement: "A security cordon is in place around the South Terminal at Gatwick Airport following the discovery of a suspected prohibited item in luggage.

"As a precaution, an EOD (Explosive Ordnance Disposal) team is being deployed."

Around three hours later the police issued a statement to announce the terminal was reopening and the security incident had been "resolved". 

It confirmed that "some delays and cancellations" would continue and passengers should contact their airline for updates. 

https://twitter.com/Gatwick_Airport/status/1859971138278785410

Gatwick airport said trains would start calling at the station again once the terminal fully reopened. 

The security incident did not impact the airport’s North Terminal, where the majority of easyJet’s flights operate from. 

The low-cost carrier advised customers to check its flight tracker. "We are advising customers travelling to and from the airport today to check our flight tracker," easyJet said. 

"Anyone travelling to or from South Terminal today whose plans have been affected by the terminal evacuation can contact our customer service team for assistance with their options." 

Flight schedule analyst Cirium said 316 flights were scheduled to depart Gatwick on Friday, equating to more than 60,000 seats, with 318 flights scheduled to arrive.

Hundreds of people were forced to wait outside for several hours while the situation was resolved.