Two German Air Force Eurofighter jets were scrambled to escort a passenger plane from the Greek island of Corfu to Nuremberg after an emergency report was made. After the safe landing, the airport in the German city was temporarily closed, and police cordoned off the area, Reuters and the German news agency DPA reported, News.bg reports.
The incident occurred on Tuesday, October 13, with flight XR456 of Corendon Airlines, operated by a Boeing 737. According to data from air traffic tracking systems, the machine landed in Nuremberg at around 12:16 p.m. local time.
Even after taking off from Corfu, the plane's transponder transmitted the emergency code 7500. In civil aviation, it signals unlawful interference with the flight, including possible hijacking. According to initial data, the code was active between 08:15 and 08:28 GMT.
At the moment, there is no official confirmation of an attempted hijacking, nor clarity as to why the signal was sent. The German Air Force sent two Eurofighter jets to escort the passenger plane into German airspace.
After landing, police inspected the plane and restricted access to the area. According to Eurocontrol, the airport was to remain closed until 4 p.m. local time. German police later said the inspections had not revealed any danger. There were no reports of injuries.
Earlier that day, Nuremberg Airport was also hit by a separate incident after three pilots reported a suspected drone in the area. This led to delays for six flights and the diversion of two planes to other airports.
Police have launched a search operation, including a helicopter, but no drone has been found. There is currently no indication that the two incidents are linked.