This archive report was first published on 7 November 2019.
On November 7, 2019, a false hijacking alarm at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport caused widespread panic, bringing the airport to a standstill.
According to reports, rumors of a hostage situation spread quickly, prompting the Dutch Royal Military Police and other emergency services to rush to the scene.
However, within an hour, the situation had been resolved, and police announced that all passengers and crew were safely off the plane, an Air Europa aircraft bound for Madrid.
Air Europa later explained that a security protocol had been activated by mistake, and nothing had happened.
“Nothing has happened, all passengers are perfectly ok and waiting to fly soon. We are sorry,” the airline tweeted.
Located in the Netherlands' capital, Schiphol airport is Europe's third-busiest airport, with around 6.5 million people passing through every month.
