A police investigation into a report of a suspect package at Gatwick has concluded after the airport’s south terminal was shut and a bomb disposal unit was deployed.
The building was closed to new passengers for more than four hours on Friday as Sussex Police deployed its “explosive ordnance disposal” (EOD) team because of “the discovery of a suspected prohibited item in luggage”.
It re-opened around 3pm after a security alert was cleared by police.
The force announced later on Friday afternoon that police had concluded their investigation, adding: “Officers from the EOD team made the package safe, and the airport has been handed back to its operator.
“Two people who were detained while inquiries were ongoing have subsequently been allowed to continue their journeys.
“There will remain an increased police presence in the area to assist with passengers accessing the South Terminal for onward travel.”
Sussex Police thanked airport users and staff for their patience while the incident was ongoing.
The force said it was called to what is the UK’s second busiest airport at 8.20am.
Passengers who had not cleared security were required to evacuate at around 10.30am.
The airport released a statement at 2.44pm announcing the security alert had been resolved, and that the terminal was re-opening, but warned there were some flight delays and cancellations.
Around 100,000 passengers were set to travel through the airport on Friday.
A number of flights to and from the south terminal were cancelled, including at least 16 departures and 13 arrivals by British Airways.
Other flights continued to depart, but were only carrying passengers who had passed through security before the evacuation.
A British Airways flight to Orlando in the US departed one hour and 49 minutes late.
Spanish carrier Vueling ordered an inbound flight from Barcelona and one from Seville to turn around and return to their starting airports.
A Norwegian flight to Bergen departed two hours and seven minutes late.
The north terminal was unaffected.
Nejadeen Braham, 35, who works as a nurse on the Isle of Man, was due to fly to her homeland of Jamaica to collect her children.
Speaking to the PA news agency outside the south terminal, she said: “I couldn’t get in the airport. I saw everybody coming (out) from one direction.
“I was supposed to go inside, drop my bags and go through security. When I got here I saw everybody coming down. There were no proper updates. I’m very frustrated.”
Train services at Gatwick were suspended as the railway station is attached to the south terminal.
