Terror suspect alert affects Athens flights

An alarm was raised Thursday night at Athens International Airport when authorities were advised by US intelligence agencies that a terrorism suspect had boarded an Emirates flight in Athens.

The suspect was said to be of Arab origin.

The Emirates flight to Dubai had not departed yet, but was taxiing, ready for takeoff. The pilot informed the passengers that they would return to the gate due to a “technical problem,” according to media reports. All passengers disembarked and were thoroughly checked, including bodily. Police found nothing suspicious and the flight left for Dubai at 10 p.m. Thursday.

A second Emirates flight, Flight 209 to New York’s Newark Airport, had already departed at the time Greek authorities were notified. Flight radar software shows that the flight turned around just after it had crossed over the Italian island of Sardinia. Media reports that France and Italy had refused requests for the plane to land on their soil have not been verified.

State broadcaster ERT, which first reported at about 9.30 p.m. that the plane had turned around, said that “this is normal when the code Renegade has been activated.” Code Renegade is a distress signal activated in case of hijacking. It has not been confirmed that such a signal was actually sent.

Kathimerini understands that Greece’s Civil Aviation Authority ordered the plane to return to Athens for passengers and luggage to be checked. It landed at the airport shortly before 10 p.m. accompanied by two F-16 fighters, as security protocols dictate. The plane reportedly landed in the airport area where cargo flights end up. The inspection at the time of writing was still ongoing.

Police and the Greek armed forces were charged with the investigation.

The alleged suspect was said to have been involved in other terrorist cases, but no one had yet been apprehended as of late Thursday.