Transport

Schipol airport on high alert

28 Aug, 2012

Schipol airport was on alert on 29 August because of the suspected highjacking of a Vueling plane with 180 passengers enroute from Malaga in Spain.

The plane was escorted by F16 fighters to Schipol where it was surrounded by the security forces but it was later discovered that the alert was due to a mistaken communication between the pilot and the air control tower.

Budget airline Vueling opened a base at Schipol in April 2011, its second outside Spain, adding 28 additional flights from there to Spain and other European destinations.

In a separate incident on 29 August Schipol’s Pier C was closed because of the discovery of an unexploded world war two bomb. Workers digging trenches for pipes discovered the device.

Schipol is one of the busiest hubs in Europe and many of its European flights use Pier C. Numerous services to Sweden, the UK and Germany had to be cancelled and it is not yet known when the pier will reopen.

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