Nuremberg airport resumes flights after aircraft alert

Flights resumed at Nuremberg airport on Oct. 13 after a temporary closure prompted by an alert from a passenger aircraft. Police gave the all-clear after the plane landed safely.

The Corendon Airlines flight had been travelling from the Greek island of Corfu. The airline attributed the emergency signal to a malfunction in the aircraft’s radio communication system while it was over Croatia.

Police said the code received from the cockpit suggested a possible hijacking. The alert prompted a precautionary security response, including fighter jets escorting the aircraft.

The airline said no emergency had occurred and passengers and crew were never in danger. That explanation concerns the signal from the aircraft, rather than confirmation of a hijacking.

German broadcaster n-tv reported, citing an airport spokesman, that regular flight operations restarted shortly after 1:30 p.m. local time. The initial suspension therefore ended later the same day.