Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) said a bomb scare that grounded its Riyadh-bound flight from Madrid on Thursday was a false alarm.
"It's just another hoax that all airlines are subjected to," a Saudia spokesman told Reuters when asked about the incident."It's false but we must do all the necessary precautionary formalities."
Saudia's flight SVA 226 returned to Madrid's Barajas airport after an alert was raised over a bomb threat, the Interior Minister Jose Fernandez Diaz said.
A general alarm was raised at Spanish international airport Barajas with all passengers and crew evacuated from the plan.
Spain's airport operator Aena said they had later downgraded the alarm from general to local, meaning the alert would not affect other flights.
El Pais newspaper said the note, with "bomb threat" written in English, was pinned to a baggage compartment in the plane with a knife.
The plane, which was seen at the airport with the inflatable ramps extended and fire crew nearby, was isolated while an investigation was being carried out.