On Monday, passengers on a Helvetic Airways flight from Warsaw were evacuated onto the airstrip at Zurich Airport, in what Swiss police described as a large-scale operation. The evacuation took place after a credible threat was made towards the aircraft, and the emergency services were alerted.
Threat made to Helvetic flight en route to Zurich
According to Kenneth Jones, a spokesperson for the police of Canton Zurich, a threat was received at 11.30am on May 16, targeting LX1343 - the Helvetic Airways flight from Warsaw to Zurich Airport. The plane, which was already en route to Zurich at the time the threat was made, “Landed safely on runway 14 at the airport."
In a statement, Helvetic Airways confirmed that all passengers and crew were evacuated safely onto the tarmac as per the police's instructions. “Together with the authorities, we [took] all necessary measures to ensure the safety of passengers and crew members," they said.
Thorough sweep by Swiss police after emergency evacuation
Once all passengers were evacuated, the aircraft was searched by specialists from the cantonal police. No suspicious objects were found in the sweep and police gave the airport the all-clear.
The cantonal authorities released the aircraft sometime later and the plane is now back in service. Zurich Airport noted that despite the size and scale of the operation, there were no delays or disruptions to normal air traffic as a result.