Dutch military police dispatched to 'suspicious situation' on plane at Amsterdam airport

The Dutch gendarmerie is investigating a “suspicious situation” on board an aircraft at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. Reports from inside the airport hint at an event with “major consequences for the population.”

UPDATE: Passengers evacuated by military police after plane at Amsterdam Schiphol airport activates hijacking alert BY MISTAKE

The gendarmerie announced that they were investigating the situation at around 7.30 local time. According to De Telegraaf, Dutch emergency management authorities issued a ‘Grip 3 report,’ a procedure usually initiated in case of “an incident or serious event with major consequences for the population.”

Emergency services, including a trauma helicopter, arrived at the scene, and several departure gates have reportedly been locked down. Photos shared on social media show areas of the airport cordoned off with police tape.

Rumors circulated that the plane, an Airbus A330 belonging to Air Europa, had been hijacked. However, the gendarmerie announced over an hour later that the plane's passengers and crew had safely been evacuated.

Following the evacuation, Air Europa announced that the hijacking alert was “triggered by mistake.” Apologizing for the false alarm, the airline stated that “nothing has happened” and added that the flight will depart as planned “soon.”

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