Germany: Nuremberg airport closed over in-flight emergency

Nuremberg airport in Germany was closed on Tuesday due to a suspected in-flight emergency involving a plane that had arrived from Corfu, Greece. The alert led to the cordon-off of the airport and the deployment of Eurofighter jets to escort the aircraft, which ultimately landed safely. According to an airport spokesman, the plane had transmitted an emergency code before touchdown, prompting air traffic control to be alerted to a possible issue on board. Police later confirmed that there was no danger after conducting checks at the scene.

Earlier in the day, three pilots had independently reported seeing what they believed to be a drone while taking off or landing at the airport. German authorities, including police, border officials, and the country's air traffic control service, immediately launched a search involving a police helicopter, but no drone was found.

Six flights were delayed as a result of the incident, while two arriving aircraft were diverted to Cologne and Prague before continuing to Nuremberg. The connection between the two incidents remained unclear.

This incident highlights the security concerns that German airports have faced in recent times. In August, an explosives-laden drone was discovered near a runway at Leipzig/Halle airport, leading to a police investigation. In May, a possible drone sighting caused flight disruptions at Munich airport, leading to the diversion of over 20 arriving aircraft, with police finding no drone in the end.