BA flight to Heathrow was stopped at Charles de Gaulle airport and surrounded by police and fire engines

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

A British Airways plane has been evacuated at Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris for security reasons, after passengers were told a “direct threat” had been made towards the aircraft. A spokesman for France’s national gendarme service said police and firefighters rushed to the scene after receiving a “security alert.” The spokesman said the plane was evacuated, each passenger and each bag was checked and the plane was thoroughly examined but no threats were found. James Anderson, a 20-year-old entrepreneur on the Sunday morning flight from Paris to London’s Heathrow Airport, told The Associated Press that the pilot initially told passengers there were technical issues. Anderson says “the pilot then said there had been a direct security threat involving our flight.”

There was no immediate comment from either British Airways or Charles de Gaulle Airport. British Airways flight evacuated in Paris for security reason, airport official says

Flight BA303 was due to take off and fly to London's Heathrow airport when the plane was evacuated, the official said. “We will all be led off the aircraft and baggage searched in due course.”

He then posted: “Everybody’s been individually searched by armed officers and given all clear. “We would never operate a flight unless it is safe to do so.”

At around 11.10am, a British Airways spokeswoman confirmed the flight had taken off.
A British Airways airplane is evacuated at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport after a "direct threat" was made against it. After a search, it is declared safe.