Northwest Airlines flight returns to Amsterdam airport escorted by F-16s; 12 passengers arrested
AMSTERDAM:
A United States airline flight to India radioed an unspecified security alarm and returned to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport shortly after takeoff on Wednesday. It was escorted by two Dutch F-16 jetfighters.
Several passengers on Northwest Airlines Flight NW0042 to Mumbai were taken for questioning, airport spokeswoman Pamela Kuypers said.
A report from The Hague said 12 passengers were arrested. A passenger said she saw them being taken off the plane in handcuffs. They appeared to be of South Asian origin.
The pilot radioed Schiphol for permission to return as the aircraft was flying over Germany, and asked for a military escort, Ms. Kuypers said. Security measures were swiftly put into place.
Customs police were investigating, and airport authorities had no further information.
Northwest Airlines said in a statement released in the U.S.: "Flight 42 is cancelled for today [Wednesday], but will be travelling to Mumbai tomorrow.''
Like airports around the world, Schiphol raised the level of security two weeks ago after British police uncovered a suspected plot to blow up several U.S.-bound jetliners. — Agencies
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