Dog reunited with owner after closing Paris airport runways

A dog whose escape from a plane caused the closure of two runways at France's biggest airport has been reunited with its owner after nine days at large, Air France said.

Authorities closed two runways at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport on Tuesday while officials tried to capture Amalka the dog.

Since Amalka, a female, slipped out of a carrier cage on November 19 during an unloading operation, there has been an intense search for the pet, owned by an Austrian tourist who flew to France on Air France from Vienna.

"After several days of intense searches, we are delighted to confirm that Amalka has been found and returned to her owner," Air France said in a statement to AFP.

Airport police deployed a search drone on Tuesday, requiring the closures of the runways.

They picked the off-peak early afternoon for the operation, thus avoiding any impact on scheduled flights.

After the dog escaped, several search parties were launched, including at night and in the presence of the owner, whose hotel costs at Charles de Gaulle were covered by Air France.

Posters were put up to alert airport staff.

The animal was finally found in a park in Dammartin-en-Goele, a town close to the airport, according to Le Parisien daily.