Plane hijack rumours lead to drama at Dutch airport Published duration 29 August 2012

media caption Amateur footage shows the plane being escorted by the F-16s

A passenger plane was forced to land at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport and boarded by Dutch forces amid fears of a hijacking that proved unfounded.

Dutch F-16 fighters were scrambled to intercept the aircraft, en route from Malaga, Spain.

Once it landed at Schiphol it was boarded by armed security forces who discovered the false alarm.

A miscommunication between the pilot and the control tower reportedly triggered the confusion.

"There was never any danger. There was a lack of communication between the pilot and the tower and the airport has activated the security protocol," a spokeswoman for Spanish carrier Vueling told Reuters news agency.

Dutch broadcaster NOS spoke to a passenger who said the situation on board had been "calm".

It was the second drama at the airport on Wednesday.

Earlier, part of Schiphol was closed and flights delayed after a suspected World War II bomb was discovered by workers digging near Pier C, which connects the main plaza with Departure Hall One.