False hijacking alarm in Amsterdam was activated by mistake

A false hijacking alarm brought Schiphol airport in Amsterdam to a  standstill, before it emerged that it had been activated by mistake.

Rumors of a hostage situation spread throughout, prompting the  Dutch Royal Military Police and other emergency services to arrive at the scene.

CNN reported that within an hour, the frenzy had faded and police announced that all passengers and crew were safely off the plane; an Air Europa aircraft bound for Madrid.

In a tweet after incident, Air Europa said 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,” they said.

According to CNN, the airport in the Netherlands’ capital is Europe’s third busiest.

The fist one is London’s Heathrow followed by Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport.

Around 6.5 million people pass through the airport every month, according to statistics published on Schiphol’s website.