An easyJet flight was grounded today due to a security alert over a "suspicious sticker".
Passengers were escorted off the plane moments before it was supposed to leave Liverpool John Lennon Airport for Venice, Italy, this morning.
It is understood they were put on buses while the plane was searched.
But they were delayed for over one hour, Liverpool Echo says.
"Rumour has it that the plane arrived from Ireland and there was an untoward sticker left on the plane," one passenger, who didn't want to be named, said.
"The pilot confirmed there was a sticker and the police and doing a full sweep of the plane before boarding again."
The captain was made aware of a "suspicious item" just before the scheduled 9.40am takeoff slot.
Merseyside Police said airport staff alerted officers of the reports.
A spokesman said: "We can confirm that officers attended John Lennon Airport this morning (Saturday 21 September 2019) following reports of a suspicious item.
"At around 10.15 am, a suspicious item was seen on a plane due to fly out of the airport, and the captain requested passengers disembark so that airline staff could search the plane as a precaution.
"No items that posed any risk to passengers were discovered and at around 11am they were allowed to re-board the flight, which is continuing its journey."
Liverpool John Lennon Airport, which is in the Speke area of the city and renamed after The Beatles musician in 2001, handles more than five million passengers each year.
It's a hub for Ryanair, in addition to easyJet.
