A flight en-route from Dubai to Newark with a stopover at Athens was diverted, according to multiple media reports.
The Boeing 777 flight EK209 from Athens to Newark departed according to schedule and flew for 90 minutes before heading back to Athens.
The plane entered an extended holding pattern while flying over Sardinia, the reports said, and was later diverted back to Athens, taking a route over water rather than land – a massive detour from its usual route.
“Emirates can confirm flight EK210 from Athens to Dubai on 10 November returned to stand before take-off, and flight EK209 from Athens to Newark on 10 November also made an unscheduled return to Athens, due to security checks requested by the authorities. Passengers on flight EK209 have been rebooked to travel on 11 November and provided overnight accommodation. Emirates apologises for the inconvenience caused,” an Emirates spokesperson told Arabian Business.
As the plane arrived closer to Greece, it was reportedly escorted by fighter jets.
The diverted plane landed in Athens over 4 and a half hours after take-off.
Greek media reported that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) had reason to believe that there was a suspicious passenger on board who posed a threat. Italy and France did not permit landing of the plane, aviation news website One Mile At A Time reported.
It is generally unusual for a plane to avoid flying over land in a significant detour.
According to passengers on the flight, once the plane landed, only those who initiated the flight at Athens were allowed to disembark while those connecting from Dubai continued to remain onboard.
Some reports suggested that the suspicious threat posing passenger may have been in the cargo hold.
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