Police clear plane delayed 24 hours

CRS RIOT police were called in to take angry passengers off a plane that had been stuck at Paris Charles-de-Gaulle Airport after a technical problem delayed it for more than 24 hours.

The Qatar Airways Paris-Doha flight had been due to take off at 15.00 on Saturday but passengers were told there was a problem and, after five hours on board, were taken off the plane and put up overnight in a hotel.

However, when they were taken back to the Airbus 330 on Sunday morning they were told there was another problem - and they were left on the plane for several hours before CRS police were called in to clear the aircraft.

Passengers said they had been given little food or drink and there were also reports that an air stewardess was "molested".

Qatar Airways was named Airline Of The Year 2011 by Skytrax Airline Global Industry Audit but no one was available to comment at its press office in Doha.

The company's website said flights were back to normal today.