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Athens/New YorkA “suspect” on board, an Emirates plane has to reverse course
An Emirates plane, which left Athens on Thursday for New York, had to turn back to “be checked”.
Just prior to this aircraft’s return, another Dubai-bound Emirates aircraft had been checked at Athens airport on Thursday evening before taking off. (illustrative image)
AFP
An Emirates plane with 228 passengers on board and 18 crew members, which took off Thursday evening from Athens airport bound for New York, had to turn back and return to Athens to “be checked”, but it was only a false alarm, we learn from a police source.
“After the information from foreign authorities that a suspicious person was on board this plane, the Greek police ordered that his return to Athens Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport be controlled,” a source told the police spokesman. Greek.
Accompanied by two Greek Air Force F-16 fighter jets, the Emirates EK-210 plane turned back about 45 minutes after taking off from Athens airport, according to the same source. He landed on Thursday around 10pm local time (8pm Luxembourg time) at Athens International Airport. According to a police source, it was the US authorities who alerted the Greek police to the presence of a “suspicious person” on board the plane.
Another aircraft checked
After a police check on all the passengers, as well as on the plane, “the person to whom the information refers or any other suspicious element has not been identified”, reads a statement from the Greek police. According to an airport source, the plane is scheduled to depart on Friday, bound for New York.
Shortly before the return of this plane, another Emirates plane, bound for Dubai, had been checked on Thursday evening at Athens airport, before taking off. Authorities did not identify any suspects and the plane eventually left Athens five hours late, according to a Greek airport source.
(AFP)
