Gatwick Airport 'locked down' as passengers report 'total mayhem'

Handout photo taken from the X (formerly Twitter) account of Serge Poliakoff of passengers queueing at check-in desks at London Gatwick Airport, amid reports of widespread IT outages affecting airlines, broadcasters and banks. Issue date: Friday July 19, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story TECHNOLOGY Outage. Photo credit should read: Serge Poliakoff/PA Wire 

NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.
-Credit: (Image: Serge Poliakoff/PA Wire)


Hundreds of passengers have reportedly been evacuated from Gatwick Airport, which is said to have been put under lockdown due to a "security incident." A post from the official Gatwick Express account on X reads: "Gatwick Airport will not be served until further notice.

"This is due to the Police and emergency services dealing with an incident at the airport." Several passengers claim they have been given little information about their onward journeys, as one said on X: “Gatwick airport evacuation today 10:27am. All flights delayed.”

A second said: “We were just made to leave the security area. No one is guiding us as to where to go outside. Total mayhem. Airport evacuated no one showing us where to go to." A third wrote: "Whole of Gatwick south terminal being evacuated right now after huge delays at security.

READ MORE: 'I'm 55 and have perfect cholesterol and looks thanks to one food'

READ MORE: Ryanair crew call police over 'disruptive' passengers on flight to Tenerife

"Looks like they are only evacuating the main terminal and pushing people to the gates. Is it a suspect package? Police told me it was a security incident earlier that led to big Q."

Videos taken from outside the airport show a sea of confused travellers being ushered away from the site to an unknown location, as reported by the Mirror.

Earlier this morning, Gatwick Airport said: "A large part of the South Terminal has been evacuated as a precaution while we continue to investigate a security incident. Passengers will not be able to enter the South Terminal while this is ongoing.

"Safety and security of our passengers and staff remains our top priority. We are working hard to resolve the issue as quickly as possible."