Palma de Mallorca Airport, one of Spain’s busiest in the Balearic Islands, was forced to close for almost four hours on Friday as several passengers on an emergency landing plane tried to escape the runway, according to authorities.
The plane, which was flying between Morocco and Turkey, changed course in Palma de Mallorca, where it made an emergency landing, due to a passenger who complained of discomfort, police authorities told the French Agency.
During the disembarkation of the supposedly sick traveler, about 20 passengers took the opportunity and got off the plane running on the runway. Two people were arrested, authorities said.
According to the newspaper El Pais, the investigating authorities estimate that the incident was set up in order to enter Spain illegally.
The passenger who complained of discomfort was taken to hospital, where he was found to be in good health and was arrested by police for “assisting in illegal immigration and violating the law on foreigners”, according to the newspaper.
One of the passengers who accompanied him to the hospital also disappeared, El Pais reported, citing an additional five arrests.
As a result of the incident, 13 planes bound for Palma de Mallorca Airport changed course to other airports and 16 flights that were ready to depart were delayed for hours, according to airport authorities. The airport reopened around midnight on Friday night after about four hours of downtime.
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