Armed police storm plane at Heathrow Airport after security threat on board
Also today, a Hawaii-bound plane that took off in Las Vegas was diverted to Los Angeles after a man allegedly harassed another passenger, according to Hawaiian Airline officials. And on Wednesday, NORAD dispatched two F-15s to escort a Hawaii-bound passenger jet back to Portland, Ore., because of a disruptive passenger.
Armed police stormed a plane at Heathrow Airport last night after a security threat on board an Emirates flight to Dubai.
Three men were handcuffed, arrested and dragged off the flight by officers wearing full body armour. One allegedly made a 'verbal threat' as the plane taxied towards the Terminal 3 runway.
The comment was overheard by a fellow passenger and reported to the on-flight crew.
Security threat: Armed police storm the EK004 Emirates flight to Dubai last night
Witnesses described the main suspect as a white male.
The flight, due to leave Heathrow for Dubai at 8pm, was grounded for more than three hours.
Passengers remained on board while officers emptied overhead lockers and sniffer dogs were brought on to the Boeing 777 to search for potential explosives.
Up to eight police vehicles surrounded the plane - although no ambulances were present.
Heathrow Airport remained open last night, despite the security alert.
Passenger Cameron McLean said: 'Police just swarmed the guy and rushed him out.
'I think he was a white male. There was another one but I didn't see him.'
He said the man was taken out in handcuffs then sniffer dogs were brought on board.
A Scotland Yard source confirmed the incident.
He said: 'We are aware of a security incident at Heathrow. The airport and terminal remains open.
'We have not found anything'
A spokesman for Heathrow Airport said: 'I can confirm there has been an incident on the EK004 flight to Dubai.
'Police are attending. It's not affecting the rest of the airport which remains opens.'
The incident comes amid heightened tension at airports across the world in the wake of the alleged botched Christmas Day bombings.
Extra bag checks, body searches and on board regulations have seen travellers in London wait up to three hours before taking off.
Even when they are in the sky, some passengers have been told to remain seated for the final hour of flight time, with no access to the bathroom or overhead lockers and nothing on their laps, including blankets or pillows.
Others heading to the US.. have reportedly also seen bans on the use of electronic equipment, including laptops and MP3 players and, in some cases, in-flight entertainment has also been disrupted.
From the Australian:
British police say three people have been arrested in a security incident aboard an Emirates passenger jet at London’s Heathrow Airport.
A police spokesman said the three - all believed to be male - were removed from the jet, which was preparing to fly to Dubai.
The spokesman, who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with policy, said officers were searching the plane but had found no hazardous material.
"Nothing has been found," he said.
Witnesses told television channel Sky News that several armed police officers boarded the plane and arrested the men.
"Basically the police just swarmed the guy and rushed him out," passenger Cameron Mclean told Sky News by phone.
"We’ve been told not to stand up. ... We’re going to be moved to a safe place."
The police spokesman said he believed the passengers had been removed from the plane.
A Heathrow spokesman said no passenger was harmed and that the airport - Europe’s busiest - remained open. He declined to provide further details.
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Also today, a Hawaii-bound plane that took off in Las Vegas was diverted to Los Angeles after a man allegedly harassed another passenger, according to Hawaiian Airline officials.
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