Manchester Airport is the third busiest airport in the UK in terms of passengers.
A fake bomb threat via email led to significant disruption at Manchester Airport on Tuesday evening. The Emirates flight arriving from Dubai was cordoned off by police, and multiple fire engines were deployed. After landing, the flight was held on the airport apron, and there were reports of several other flights being redirected.
Upon arrival, officers from Greater Manchester Police swiftly arrived on the scene, but subsequent searches revealed no suspicious items. Eventually, the incident was resolved, but all passengers aboard the Emirates flight had to disembark.
According to The Guardian, the aircraft, which took off at about 2.30 pm from Dubai, landed in Manchester on Tuesday evening and was held for further assessment. Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said no suspicious items had been discovered and no arrests had been made. A source said the airfield was closed for a short period after the arrival of flight EK019 before normal operations resumed at 7.55 pm.
"At around 7.20 pm this evening, Greater Manchester police were made aware of an email claiming there was a suspicious package on a flight," a spokesperson for the police force said.
"The aircraft had landed at Manchester Airport and was held for further assessment. Searches and security checks have been completed, and no suspicious items have so far been found.
"Passengers have now disembarked the aircraft with extra officers on hand to answer any questions and offer visible reassurance. No arrests have been made at this stage."
A spokesperson for Emirates Airlines said: "We can confirm that flight EK019 arriving in Manchester today was subjected to additional security checks upon arrival.
"Emirates crews and ground teams cooperated fully with the authorities.
"After the local authorities cleared the aircraft, it proceeded to the gate, where passengers disembarked as normal."