“Allahu Akbar” prompts Transavia flight evacuation

A Transavia flight from Seville, Spain to Amsterdam on Thursday evening was evacuated shortly before takeoff after passengers heard a man say 'suspicious slogans' on board. This included the words 'Allahu Akbar', the Telegraaf reports.

The plane returned to the gate, was evacuated and the man was arrested. A spokesperson for Transavia confirmed the incident to the newspaper, but could not say exactly what the man said. "A passenger who shouted suspicious slogans was transferred to the authorities by us. We do not know what happened to him. He did not fly back the next day in any case", the spokesperson said.

The luggage and the plane itself were thoroughly examined. Nothing suspicious was found.

The passengers had to spend the night in Seville and could only fly to the Netherlands on Friday morning. "The passengers were all housed in a hotel", a Transavia spokesperson said to AD.

The suspect has since been released, according to AD. He has no criminal record and there is no reason to believe that he is affiliated with any terrorist organization.