Hijack scare as Clinton flies in

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A DOMESTIC flight sparked a mid-air hijacking scare in Port Elizabeth yesterday just as former United States president Bill Clinton landed in the city.

Security forces were ordered to surround the SAA Boeing 737 within seconds of it landing at the Port Elizabeth Airport just before 3pm.

Officials feared the 111 passengers on flight SA417 had been taken hostage, but it was quickly found to be a false alarm after the pilot spoke to an air traffic control officer.

Security forces then quickly moved the plane off the runway to make way for the jet carrying Clinton and his star-studded entourage, which included Hollywood actors Jesse Eisenberg (The Social Network) and Dakota Fanning (Twilight).

Clinton, 66, and his daughter, Chelsea, 33, were in the city to visit the Ubuntu Centre in Zwide.