Passengers are facing delays at Stansted Airport after a small fire in a departure lounge.
No one was reported injured in the incident, but there was a “significant amount of smoke” and the immediate area was evacuated, the airport said.
The fire broke out in the Escape Lounge, which is part of the main departures area, at 3.30am on Wednesday and was “quickly extinguished by the Airport Fire Service”.
Passengers were prevented from entering the security search area as a “precaution”.
In a later update at 6.30am, the airport, based in Essex, said the departure lounge was “now open and passengers are being processed through security” as the “terminal was safe for them to re-enter”.
The airport said waiting times for passengers “may be longer than usual in the circumstances”.
“Flights were not suspended and both departures and arrivals are operating,” the airport added in a statement.
“Some flights may be subject to delays and passengers are advised to check with their airlines.”
Ryanair, which bases many of its routes out of Stansted, told its passengers to check its app for latest updates.
“Affected passengers will be notified and any passengers travelling to/from Stansted on Wed 24 Sep should check their Ryanair app for the latest updates on their flight,” the airline said on its website.
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Passengers using train services at Stansted were also facing disruption due to a “fault with the signalling system”.
National Rail said CrossCountry services between the airport and Birmingham New Street were affected, alongside Greater Anglia services between Stansted and London Liverpool Street.
All lines had reopened, but “trains may still be delayed by up to 15 minutes, cancelled or revised”, it added.
