An airport authority spokesman reports that everyone on board has been safely evacuated.
Infraero spokesman Jorge Andrade says the plane left Rio de Janeiro bound for Paris, but diverted to the northeastern city of Recife late Saturday.
Authorities are inspecting the aircraft to determine if there was a bomb.
It was flying the same route as an Air France jet that crashed last June off Brazil's northeastern coast, killing all 228 on board.
While no definite cause has been determined in that crash, authorities have repeatedly ruled out foul play.
