Police said a security alert on a British Airways plane in Paris on Sunday was a false alarm.
Passengers were evacuated from Flight BA303 at Charles de Gaulle airport before it was due to fly to London for what officials said was a security reason.
Sniffer dogs checked the plane and found no threat, police said as they lifted the alert. Police and firefighters checked a British Airways plane on the tarmac of Paris’ Charles de Gaulle airport Sunday morning after reports of a security threat but authorities determined it was a false alarm.
One passenger on the plane said it was surrounded by dozens of armed officers and firefighters.
James Anderson, a 20-year-old entrepreneur on the flight from Paris to London’s Heathrow Airport, told The Associated Press that the pilot initially told passengers there were technical issues. After about an hour, he said passengers were told the aircraft had to move to another part of the airport and that’s when security officers surrounded the plane.
“The pilot then said there had been a direct security threat involving our flight,” Mr. Anderson told the AP.
A spokesman for France’s national gendarme service said police and firefighters rushed to the scene after receiving a “security alert.” The spokesman said the plane was evacuated, each passenger and each bag was checked and the plane was thoroughly examined but no threats were found. Authorities determined it was a false alarm.
“The safety and security of our customers and crew is always our top priority. Additional security checks are being carried out as a precaution,” British Airways said in a statement when asked about the flight.
