Gatwick Airport: passengers at South Terminal evacuated after fire alarm activated

A fire alarm was activated in the South Terminal on Thursday morning (May 9). The incident was confirmed to be a false alarm however, after West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said that it did not attend the scene.

A spokesperson for the airport said: "Our dedicated fire service swiftly attended and confirmed there was no fire. Passengers are being allowed back into the departure lounge.”

Gatwick Airport added that the situation was quickly resolved. One passenger described the scene as “chaotic” in a post on social media, saying: “Was all very sudden and chaotic for a while. People running around everywhere and very confused. Never experienced a big evacuation at Gatwick Airport before, don’t want to again!”

Traveller set to jet off throughout the day are being advised to check the status of their flight throughout the day as the evacuation may have impacted some take-offs. Travel agency Clarity said in a n update on X (formerly Twitter): “Clarity advises travellers flying to from or through London Gatwick Airport to confirm their flight status in advance of departure and allow additional time for processing through the airport.”

It comes only a few days after Gatwick Airport, along with airports across the UK, were hit with huge delays and queues after the passport e-gate systems went down.