Passenger speaks of moment police boarded Emirates plane at Manchester Airport after threat

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

Police reportedly boarded a plane and 'searched the overhead lockers' after claims a 'suspicious package' was on board. A huge police and fire service response surrounded the runway at Manchester Airport on Tuesday night (October 17) after an Emirates flight from Dubai had landed.

Authorities had been alerted to an email that claimed a 'suspicious package' was on board the aircraft. A subsequent search and security checks after landing were carried out, before there was deemed to be no such package on the plane. READ MORE Email claiming there was 'suspicious package' on flight sees police block Manchester Airport runway with 'airfield closed' READ MORE Emirates issues statement after 'suspicious package' email sparks emergency response at Manchester Airport One woman, who has asked not to be named, was on board having returned from a holiday to Dubai with her friend.

She said the situation remained 'surprisingly calm' because the pilot had only made reference to a 'security incident'. She said that after landing, a number of police officers came on board and were seen 'searching the overhead lockers' before a number of people were escorted off the flight. "As soon as we landed, we were sat at the end of the runway.

About five minutes later, the pilot said there had been a security incident of some kind and so we couldn't go into the bay," the passenger told the M.E.N. "If they had said anything more, the people on board probably would've panicked.