(UTC)
Airport

Gatwick Airport Security Wait Times Gatwick Airport Live Security Wait Times

( Terminal South )
IATA Code:

LGW

Timezone:

UTC/GMT

Airport local time:

Tuesday, 7:23am

Current conditions

Live Airport Status

Current wait times, updates and terminal information for this airport.


Wait times are steady
Updated today, Tuesday 27 October 2026
7:21 AM (UTC/GMT )
Add Your Time
  • Data

    Qsensor combines airport data with crowdsourced information. How was your airport experience? Contribute to the community by submitting your wait time.

  • Disclaimer

    Waiting times may not accurately reflect your experience. It is advisable to arrive at the airport well in advance and follow the recommendations of the airlines and airports.

  • Airport Last Updated

    7:21 AM (UTC/GMT )

Terminal level wait times

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      Back to all terminals
    • airplane
      Terminal South
      16-20 mins wait time
    Plan ahead

    Forecasts, historical patterns and guidance to help plan your airport arrival.

    Latest Airport Arrival Time
    Domestic 1h 25m before departure
    International 1h 57m before departure
    How we calculated this

    Bag drop closes 45-60 min before departure. With an estimated 25 min bag drop queue, you need to arrive at the desk 70-85 min early. After that, allow 15 min for security (avg on Tuesdays) and 12 min to walk to your gate, which closes 15-20 min before departure. Finally, add a 15 min buffer.

    How Busy
    Is the Airport?

    Based on live and historical flight patterns. Tap a bar to see details.

    As busy as usual (31 flights vs 31 avg)
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    Not busy
    A bit busy
    Busy
    Very busy

    What Will the Wait Time Be?

    Pick a day and time to see the typical wait, based on historical data.

    — min typical wait

    Wait Times by Day of Week

    Average wait times based on the last 3 weeks of data.

    15m
    Mon
    15m
    Tue
    15m
    Wed
    15m
    Thu
    15m
    Fri
    15m
    Sat
    15m
    Sun

    Wait times today, hour by hour

    Actual readings recorded so far today.
    Current: 18 min (Similar to usual: avg wait time is 18 min)

    Best & Worst Times to Fly

    Based on historical security wait times and flight delays across all days of the week.

    Best Time
    Early Morning
    4am - 8am
    16 min avg wait
    9 min avg flight delay
    Worst Time
    Afternoon
    12pm - 5pm
    15 min avg wait
    19 min avg flight delay
    Live departures

    Flight Status

    Check scheduled departures, destinations and reported delays for this airport.

    --
    avg delay (min)
    Updated today, Tuesday 27 October 2026
    -- --
    On Time (0-15 min)
    Delayed (16-45 min)
    Severely Delayed (>45 min)
    LIVE

    Flight status will load as you approach this section.

    Flight Delays

    Average departure delays by hour, based on the last 2 weeks of flight data.

    Current: -1 min (Similar to usual: avg wait time is 1 min)

    Gatwick Airport Overview (LGW)

    London Gatwick is the UKs second-busiest airport and a unique operational hub. Located approximately 28 miles (45 km) south of Central London, serving millions of passengers annually with a mix of short-haul leisure flights and global long-haul connections.

    The airport is split into two main terminals, North and South, which are not connected by foot; passengers must use the free, 24-hour automated shuttle train to travel between them. While the South Terminal is the oldest and houses the airport’s railway station, the North Terminal is often associated with more premium long-haul traffic, though low-cost carriers operate from both. Understanding the specific logistics of Gatwick—from its distinct terminal split to its strict drop-off rules, is essential for a stress-free journey

    Gatwick Airport FAQ

    easyJet operates from both terminals at Gatwick, and your terminal depends strictly on your flight number.

    • South Terminal: Flights with numbers between 6300 and 6599.
    • North Terminal: All other flight numbers.

    Tip: Check your flight number carefully before arriving, as transferring between terminals takes approximately 15–20 minutes total.

    TUI Airways also splits its operations:

    • North Terminal: Flight numbers beginning with TOM.
    • South Terminal: Flight numbers beginning with BY. Always check your booking confirmation, as bag drop locations differ significantly.

    You must use the free inter-terminal shuttle train. It runs 24 hours a day, every few minutes, and the journey takes just two minutes. It is located near the train station in the South Terminal and on the first floor (The Avenue) of the North Terminal.

    Can I walk between the terminals? No. There is no pedestrian footpath between the terminals due to runway and taxiway infrastructure. You must use the free shuttle.

    A £7 charge applies for dropping passengers off at the forecourts. You cannot pay at a barrier as you leave. You must pay online or via an automated phone line (0330 174 4503.) by midnight on the day after your visit.

    Warning: Failing to pay by the deadline results in a £100 Parking Charge Notice (PCN). Tip: You can set up an “AutoPay” account to automatically charge your card if you visit frequently.

    Yes. You can park for free for up to 2 hours in the Long Stay Car Parks. Free shuttle buses run frequently from there to the terminals.

    • Gatwick Express: Non-stop to London Victoria (~30 mins). Best if you have lots of luggage or want the simplest journey.
    • Southern/Thameslink: Takes slightly longer (35–45 mins) but is significantly cheaper. Thameslink is often the best option if you are heading to London Bridge, Blackfriars, or St Pancras.

    Yes, both are accepted at the ticket barriers. Using a contactless bank card is generally recommended as it contributes to weekly fare capping, whereas standard Oyster cards require top-ups and a deposit.

    Gatwick has installed Next Generation Security scanners. You can now carry liquids in containers up to 2 Liters. You do not need to remove liquids or laptops from your hand luggage.

    Important: If your return flight is from an airport without these new scanners, you may be forced to discard large liquids on your way back.

    No. With the new CT scanners, laptops and tablets can remain inside your cabin bag.

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    Guides for this airport

    How Long Are Security Queues At London Gatwick?

    A detailed look at London Gatwick's security wait times for August 2026, revealing why the 14-minute average doesn't…

    Read more →

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    Qsensor FAQ

    Live data: For the majority of the airports we track we use live data from the airport. For the remaining airports we provide a modelled projection, combined with crowdsourced data.

    Search: By airport name, IATA code, city, county, country or region. To save you time, we keep your last visited airports on the front page. If you can’t find an airport, contact us using the contact form and we will look to add it. 

    Current average wait time: The airport’s latest average security, passport control or customs queue wait time. If the airport has multiple queues, we display the average of them. If you want a more granular view that includes wait times for individual queues, take a look at the terminal level wait times. We regularly update each airport’s data,  but make sure you click the “i” icon to check when the last update was made.

    Terminal level wait times: The latest security or customs queue wait time for individual terminals. Click on the terminal to access more information at the terminal level. Please note that this data is not available for all airports. We are working to expand this functionality to as many airports as possible.

    Historical wait times: The typical wait time on different days and times over the past 2 weeks. Click the filter at the top right of the graph to cycle through the days of the week.

    Add a security or customs queue wait time: How was your airport security experience? Contribute to the community by inputting your wait time. This feature is only available for airports where Qsensor does not automatically track data. To add a wait time, simply click the “Add Your Time” button on the airports page and follow the instructions.

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    Please note that this data is monitored and may be modified or deleted if found to be invalid.

    Click the “i” icon to view and take note of more contextual information on each airport. “Airport Last Updated” denotes the last time the data was refreshed.

    Our sources for wait time data vary and may include air travel data aggregators, federal agencies such as the TSA, CATSA CBP, or information from the airport and its affiliated service providers. For some airports, Qsensor utilises its proprietary queue modelling technology to project wait times. Additionally, we crowdsource data from passengers who have input their wait time using the “Add Your Time” button.

    Qsensor is not affiliated with any airport, airline, or associated service provider.

    We regularly check queue times and flight delays for accuracy, however all times are estimates and waiting times and delays may not accurately reflect your experience. It is advisable to arrive at the airport well in advance and follow the recommendations of the airlines and airports.

    There are a wide array of ways that queue data is measured. Including but not limited to looking at how long a passenger takes to get from scanning their boarding pass to exiting the security or customs area. Auditing passengers on how long it took them to pass through security or customs as well as Qsensors’ proprietary system for user added wait times. 

    For airport wait times, we currently support over 140 airports worldwide. Whether it be London Heathrow, Istanbul, or Miami – we have got you covered. More are added all the time. Is Qsensor missing an airport that you want to be supported? We are more than happy to accommodate your request, get in touch via the contact form. 

    For flight delays and cancellations, we currently support 12 airports, with the goal of expanding coverage going forwards.

    Qsensor automatically tracks wait times for a variety of airports including London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta, Chicago O’Hare, Amsterdam Schiphol, Kempegowda Bangalore, Madrid Barajas, Hong Kong, Istanbul, and many more!

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    Send the request via the contact form below:

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    Make sure you include the name of the airport and its IATA code in your request!

    The flight delay tracker gives you a comprehensive view of flight status delays, both for the current day and historically on a per flight basis. Tap on a weekday to see all flights that have historically taken off on that day and their typical delay over the past two weeks. You can also search for your flight using your flight number and view the airport’s average delay.

    Get insights into flight on-time performance and make better travel decisions. Please note, this feature is not available for all airports, but we’re adding more all the time!

    To keep wait times relevant, the message “There is currently no data for this airport.” is shown when no traveller has recently inputted a wait time.

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    For airports Qsensor automatically tracks, this message may also be shown if we haven’t recently gotten data from the airport. This typically rectifies itself within 12 hours.

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