A radio malfunction on a flight to Nuremberg triggered a false hijack alert, causing Germany to scramble fighter jets and briefly close the airport, but the plane landed safely.

What it means

A Corendon Airlines Boeing 737-800 flying from Corfu, Greece, to Nuremberg accidentally transmitted a cockpit hijack alert because of a radio communications malfunction. The false signal triggered a full aviation emergency: Germany scrambled fighter jets to escort the plane and briefly closed Nuremberg Airport before reopening it after the aircraft landed safely. It was a technical glitch, not a security incident.

Accuracy & sourcesGrounded

The core claim is well corroborated by multiple reputable outlets, including Reuters and AP, which cite German police/aviation authorities. The main facts — a radio glitch caused a false hijack alert and the flight landed safely — are consistent across sources; finer details such as the specific aircraft type and airline come from secondary reporting and are likely accurate but not independently confirmed here.

How new

Genuinely new: the incident and the reporting window are 13–14 October 2026, with no recirculation flag.

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