Fears of a hijacking at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol briefly brought one of Europe’s busiest airports to a standstill on Wednesday, Nov. 6, before it emerged that an alarm had been activated by mistake.
The Dutch Royal Military Police and other emergency services flocked to the scene, as rumors of a possible hostage situation spread.
The authorities said they were investigating a situation on a plane. Eyewitnesses reported that parts of the airport had been closed off and shared images of crowds and confusion.
The Royal Netherlands Marechaussee is currently investigating a situation on board of a plane at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. We keep you posted. https://t.co/AxwMZ7CZtT
— Schiphol (@Schiphol) November 6, 2019
Passengers and crew are safely off board. On-site research is still continuing. https://t.co/hZvl0Dq5ig
— Schiphol (@Schiphol) November 6, 2019
As a result of the investigation by the Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, our D pier was temporarily closed. From now on, there is a regular operation at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol again.
— Schiphol (@Schiphol) November 6, 2019
But within an hour, the frenzy had faded, as police announced that all passengers and crew were safely off the plane, an Air Europa aircraft bound for Madrid.
The airline later said a security protocol had been activated by mistake.
“[The alert] started all protocols on hijacking at the airport. Nothing has happened, all passengers are perfectly OK and waiting to fly soon. We are sorry,” Air Europa tweeted.
#AirEuropaInfo False Alarm. In the flight Amsterdam – Madrid, this afternoon was activated, by mistake, a warning that triggers protocols on hijackings at the airport. Nothing has happened, all passengers are safe and sound waiting to fly soon. We deeply apologize.
— Air Europa (@AirEuropa) November 6, 2019
The airport in the Netherlands’ capital is Europe’s third busiest, after London’s Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. Around 6.5 million people pass through the airport every month, according to statistics published on Schiphol’s website.
