‘This is your captain speaking: Sorry for setting off the hijack alarm’: Astonishing moment pilot apologises to passengers after sparking emergency at Dutch airport by activating alert

• Clip shows the pilot apologising to the 27 passengers on board the Madrid flight 
• Police raced to the scene on Wednesday after the pilot triggered a hijack alarm  
• Emerged later that the pilot hit the alarm accidentally during a training session
• Images on social media showed passengers stood behind police cordons 
• ‘Terrified’ passengers told MailOnline of ‘screaming’ and armed police in area 

A pilot who sparked a mass panic at Amsterdam’s Schipol airport on Wednesday after triggering a hijack alarm apologised to the delayed passengers when they finally took off. 

The Air Europa flight was meant to depart for Madrid at 7.30pm but the flight was delayed until 11.28pm, prompting an apologetic announcement from the pilot. 

In a video recorded by one of the passengers and posted to Twitter, the captain can be heard saying: ‘I would like to apologize for the delay we are having today.’ 

He then admitted his clumsy mistake and apologised again. 

A pilot who triggered a mass panic on board an Air Europa flight on Wednesday apologised to passengers shortly after they took off, almost four hours after their scheduled departure time. Pictured: A still from the video where the apology can be heard 

‘Terrified’ passengers have spoken of screaming at the airport and ‘armed police running about’ as a police cordon is set up in the area (pictured, passengers at the airport). The panic was soon relieved when Air Europa announced that the alarm was sounded by mistake 

One passenger told MailOnline: ‘Nobody knows what is happened here, there was a lot of screaming going on and armed police running about’ (pictured, passengers in the airport)

Dutch police patrol at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport after a suspicious incident proved to be a false alarm

Dutch military police, pictured responding to the false alarm yesterday, were deployed quickly

Dutch military police responded to reports of a suspected hijacking on board a plane at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport yesterday (left, a police cordon in place, and right an image looking out on to a plane). It was later revealed that the pilot had sounded the alarm by mistake

The airline company, Air Europa, told Dutch broadcastr NOL that the captain accidentally triggered the alarm during a training session with a trainee pilot. 

When questioned if he would face disciplinary action, an Air Europa spokesperson said: ‘Why? There is absolutely nothing to blame him for. What else can we investigate?’ 

Dutch military police raced to the scene on Wednesday evening following the alert, setting up cordons and warning passengers to stay away from the area.

Dutch military police say that all passengers and crew are safely off a plane at the centre of a security alert at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport. The pilot had sounded the alarm by mistake

Air Europa released a statement to say that it was all a ‘false alarm’ and that the warning was activated by mistake

‘Terrified’ passengers spoke of screaming at the airport and ‘armed police running about’ as the area was locked down amid reports of an attack.  

But moments afterwards, Air Europa released a statement saying that it was all a ‘false alarm’ and that the warning was activated by mistake.

It has now emerged that the code for a hijacking may have been entered while the pilot was trying to explain to a trainee how to use the transponder, according to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf. 

Dutch television station NOS said that it had involved a possible hijacking, without giving its sources, adding that the captain of the plane had pressed a hijacking alarm (pictured police and ambulance crews at the scene). It was later revealed that it was a false alarm 

Dutch military police and security officers mill about after a threat at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands. It was later revealed that the pilot had sounded the alarm by mistake

Pilots can send signals using a transponder in the event of emergency situations, such as a hijacking, a loss of communication or an emergency. But these must be entered using a four-digit code.  

But aviation experts have cast doubt on this view, saying that you can only enter the emergency codes if the radio is not working – and the transponder cannot ordinarily be used while the plane is on the ground. 

Revealing the ‘false alarm’ on a flight from Amsterdam to Madrid, Air Europa said in a tweet: ‘This afternoon by mistake an alert was activated which sets off a protocol response to airport hostage situations.’

A cordon was set up in an area of the airport yesterday before police knew the extent of what happened on board

‘Nothing has happened and all passengers are fine and waiting to fly soon. We’re sorry.’ 

Dutch police said passengers and crew had disembarked safely following the incident, following reports of panic and ‘screaming’ in the airport. 

One passenger told MailOnline last night: ‘Nobody knows what has happened here, there was a lot of screaming going on and armed police running about. 

‘It’s quite a frightening experience as we are behind a cordon unable to move for our own safety as police is everywhere.’  

There were earlier reports of a knifeman having tried to hijack the aircraft, but it has now emerged the panic button was hit accidentally.    

‘Passengers and crew are safely off the plane,’ the Royal Military Police, which deals with ports and airports, said on Twitter without giving further details. ‘Investigation on site continues.’ 

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