Travellers were unable to check in for more than four hours after the terminal building was evacuated as bomb disposal experts responded to reports of a suspected prohibited item in the luggage area.
By mid-afternoon, Gatwick airport said the security alert had been resolved and a security cordon around the terminal was lifted.
The scare caused frustration and alarm to the evacuated passengers, many of whom were handed foil blankets as temperatures hovered barely above freezing.
Brian Torres, 22, who was visiting from New York, was preparing to go through security checks when he was ordered to evacuate. He said: "I just want to get back home to talk to my mom. It's scary. They're not informing us about anything."
Denne historien er fra November 23, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra November 23, 2024-utgaven av The Guardian.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Konaté taken off early to avoid 'soft' red card, says Slot
Arne Slot admitted he withdrew Ibrahima Konaté at half-time against Wolves to save the Liverpool defender from a second yellow card, as the Premier League leaders secured a nervous victory at Anfield.
I'll stick to my beliefs'
Amorim doubles down after United lose again
Union says Amazon has targeted its members since vote
Amazon has been accused of targeting 60 trade union members with disciplinary action after narrowly defeating a recognition vote at its Coventry warehouse last summer.
Salah on the spot before Wolves rattle Anfield's nerves
A rare troubled week for Arne Slot ended in the relief of victory and the restoration of his side's seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League, yet concern lingers.
Raducanu ends losing run with 'focused' win over Sakkari
Emma Raducanu ended her losing run in style with a straight-sets victory against Greece's Maria Sakkari in the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.
Five-star Arsenal sink Spurs to serve up happy homecoming for Kelly
Renée Slegers's final message to Chloe Kelly before she came off the bench, an hour into Arsenal's 5-0 rout of rudderless Tottenham, was simple: \"This is your welcome back in an Arsenal shirt and it is a very special occasion, so enjoy it.\"
Israel and US working on Trump's plan to turn Gaza into resort, says Netanyahu
Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that his government was working with the US to implement Donald Trump's plan for Gaza, which involves US ownership of the strip, the removal of more than 2 million Palestinians and the redevelopment of the occupied territory as a resort.
Dance review Glamorous, surreal, and very, very wet
'Impossible to catch or control': Bausch's Vollmond looks at love, especially courtship and flirtation
White House courting Europe's far right to spread its message across a stunned continent
Donald Trump's administration is making a big bet on Europe's hard right.
Indigenous art lands in UK after success at Venice Biennale
'It's the zeitgeist'
