Nuremberg Airport Operations Halted Amid Aviation Emergency and Drone Sightings
German Eurofighter jets escorted a passenger flight to a safe landing following an unclear air emergency and earlier suspected drone disruptions.
Carla Rooney
All flight operations at Nuremberg airport were suspended on Tuesday.
An aircraft landed safely at Nuremberg Airport under police monitoring at 12:16 PM, approximately one minute later than scheduled.
Police immediately launched an investigation into the incident; authorities confirmed receipt of a report detailing an unclear air emergency.
Officers reportedly assume a possible in-flight emergency; an emergency code was reportedly issued prior to the safe landing.
The pilot of the plane could not be reached by radio, and the plane reportedly changed its squawk code to "7500," signaling an unlawful interference or hijacking.
An airport spokesperson stated that six flights were delayed and two inbound flights were diverted due to the incident.
Police investigated the ground and stated there is "no danger," though the airport has been cordoned off.
Separately, disruptions occurred at Nuremberg Airport overnight into Tuesday due to suspected drone sightings reported by three independent pilots.
These pilots independently reported observing an object during takeoff or landing, leading to air traffic disruptions.
The German government previously blamed Russia for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport in August.