Security alert at Amsterdam airport 'false alarm'

The Spanish airline Air Europa said a security alert over a possible plane hijacking at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on Wednesday was a "false alarm."

"In the flight Amsterdam-Madrid, this afternoon was activated, by mistake, a warning that triggers protocols on hijackings at the airport," the airline said in a tweet.

"Nothing has happened," the airline added, adding that they "deeply apologize" for the incident.

Earlier, military police said they were investigating a "suspicious situation" aboard an aircraft at the airport.

Police tweeted that the passengers and crew had been safely removed from the airplane, but that they are continuing to investigate.

Dutch broadcaster NOS reported that 27 people were believed to have been on board the aircraft.

The Algemeen Dagblad newspaper reported that heavily-armed special police forces were on site and that two rescue helicopters had been dispatched.

Schiphol is one of Europe's busiest hubs, with over 54 million passengers passing through the airport from January through September this year, according to the latest figures.

rs/rc (Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa)

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