A terror alert is issued for two Emirates aircraft. One machine is not allowed to start in Athens, another is on the way. Fighter jets accompany them back.
Update from November 11, 8:16 a.m.: After the alarm for two Emirates machines because of a “suspicious person” on board, the Greek police have given the all-clear. All passengers and both planes were checked, but there was no evidence of a suspicious person,” it said late Thursday evening.
A plane bound for Dubai had been grounded to be checked. Another Emirates plane, which had just taken off for New York, was ordered back and escorted to Athens by two fighter jets. The two F16 jets took off from the NATO base in Souda on Crete, and the Boeing 777-300ER finally turned over Sardinia, writes the aviation news portal aero.de.
In this case, too, nothing suspicious was found when the machine and the passengers were checked after returning to Athens airport, the Greek police wrote.
Terrorist alarm at Athens airport: CIA probably warned – fighter jets escort New York flight back
First report from November 10th – Athens – A terror alarm was triggered at the airport in Athens on Thursday evening. There had previously been a warning of a “suspicious person” on board an Emirates plane. According to the Greek newspaper Kathimerini, the tip came from the American foreign intelligence service, the CIA.
However, it was not clear which Emirates flight the person was on.
Suspicion of terrorism at Athens airport: According to CIA information, Emirates passengers are being checked
A plane from the airline that was about to take off from Greece to Dubai was then grounded and examined. The passengers were screened. Apparently without new knowledge.
At the same time, another Emirates flight that had just started in the direction of New York was ordered back. According to Flightradar data, the aircraft was already over the Italian island of Sardinia at that time. Two F-16 fighter jets escorted the plane back to Athens Airport shortly before 10 p.m. In this case, too, the 210 passengers were examined, but without any concrete results until late in the evening.
It was initially not known whether the person concerned could be located. (rjs with dpa)
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