Emirates aircraft while landing. (Credit: AFP file)
ATHENS — Greece found nothing suspicious on an Emirates plane which was flying to New York from Greece and was forced to return to Athens International Airport after a security alert, police said on Thursday.
Greek authorities were tipped off by US authorities about a "suspicious" passenger. Just after 2000 GMT the plane, escorted by two fighter jets, landed back at the Eleftherios Venizelos airport in Athens for security checks, police sources said.
Police said the plane was ordered to fly back to Athens as part of an information inquiry but following checks on the passengers and the plane, they did not find the person the information was about or anything else suspicious.
Earlier on Thursday, another Emirates flight to Dubai was not allowed to take off from Eleftherios Venizelos and all passengers were thoroughly checked also for security concerns but nothing suspicious was found, police sources added.
Reporting by Renee Maltezou and Angeliki Koutantou; Editing by Sandra Maler