Germany’s Nuremberg airport briefly shut down after mid-air communication malfunction

Germany's Nuremberg airport temporarily suspended flights on Tuesday after a passenger plane mistakenly transmitted an emergency code, prompting a military escort.

The Corendon Airlines flight was travelling from the Greek island of Corfu to Nuremberg when the alert was sent while the aircraft was flying over Croatia.

According to CNN, the airline said the signal was caused by a “brief malfunction” in the aircraft's radio communication system.

“The situation was immediately monitored, investigations were promptly initiated and all necessary preparations were made,” Corendon Airlines said.

German police confirmed that the emergency alert was received shortly after 11:00 AM local time.

The aircraft was subsequently escorted to Nuremberg airport by Eurofighter jets before landing safely.

“The aircraft in question is a scheduled flight from Corfu, which landed in Nuremberg as planned. On-site inspections have determined that there is no danger,” police said.

Airport authorities initially suspended flight operations as a precaution, but services later returned to normal, Reuters reported.

Police confirmed that everyone on board was safe and there was no ongoing threat.