False hijacking alert triggers passenger evacuation at Amsterdam Schiphol airport

False hijacking alert triggers passenger evacuation at Amsterdam Schiphol airport
False hijacking alert triggers passenger evacuation at Amsterdam Schiphol airport

Dutch gendarmerie announced they were responding to a “suspicious situation” on board a parked aircraft at Amsterdam Schiphol airport on Wednesday evening. According to NOS news, the plane’s captain had signalled by code that a hijacking attempt was underway, as passengers boarded.

The captain of an airplane at the center of a massive police operation at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport activated a hijacking alert during boarding.

27 passengers were reportedly aboard the Airbus A330 when the alert was signalled. The plane, belonging to Air Europa, was scheduled to fly to Madrid.

Military police have said that all passengers have been evacuated.

The airline acknowledged false alarm after police evacuated all the passengers.

Minutes after the evacuation, Air Europa announced that the hijacking alert was “triggered by mistake.” Apologizing for the false alarm, the airline stated that “nothing has happened” and added that the flight will depart as planned “soon.”

Heavily armed officers with the Special Interventions Service have earlier descended on the grounded airplane, and trauma helicopters and ambulances have arrived at the airport.

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Chief Assignment editor is Oleg Siziakov

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