Germany briefly shut down Nuremberg Airport and scrambled fighter jets after a suspected hijacking alert aboard a Corendon Airlines Boeing 737-800 flying from Corfu, Greece, to Nuremberg.
The aircraft, carrying 178 passengers, reportedly transmitted an emergency code over Croatia following a brief malfunction in its radio communication system.
Authorities became concerned when the cockpit sent a code suggesting a possible hijacking. When air traffic control and police were unable to establish contact with the cockpit, officials assumed the worst and initiated precautionary security measures.
Police cordoned off Nuremberg Airport, six flights were delayed, and two inbound flights were diverted to other airports.
Fortunately, the aircraft landed safely. Corendon Airlines confirmed that the passengers, crew and aircraft were never in danger, attributing the incident to a temporary radio communication malfunction.
The incident highlights how a communication failure and a suspicious emergency code can trigger a major aviation security response.
