A passenger aircraft from the Greek island of Corfu landed safely at Germany’s Nuremberg Airport after being escorted by Eurofighter jets amid suspicions of a possible in-flight emergency, police and airport authorities said.
Investigation into aviation emergency code
A German police spokesperson said the authorities treated the incident as a possible aviation emergency, explaining that its nature had not yet been confirmed. Investigations are continuing to establish the circumstances of the incident and the reasons for the security response. The measures were taken shortly before the aircraft from Corfu landed, after information reported by the German Press Agency indicated that an emergency code had been issued.
An airport spokesperson confirmed that the aircraft arrived and landed safely, and that Eurofighter jets escorted it during the flight before leaving the area. The authorities did not disclose the nature of the possible threat or the specific reasons that led military jets to escort the passenger aircraft. The incident followed a separate security alert at Nuremberg Airport early on Tuesday, after reports that an object suspected to be a drone had been seen near the airport.
Repeated reports of unidentified object
Police said three pilots separately reported seeing an unidentified object during take-off or landing operations. Following the reports, the border police launched a search in co-ordination with the airport authorities and Germany’s air traffic control authority. A police helicopter also took part in the checks.
The search teams found no drone. The security measures linked to the reports delayed six flights, including two arrivals and four departures.
Two incoming aircraft were also diverted as a precaution to Cologne and Prague airports before later continuing their journeys to Nuremberg. It was not clear whether the possible aviation emergency was connected to the earlier reports of an object suspected to be a drone near the airport.
