German fighter jets scrambled after Malta-registered aircraft triggers false alarm

German fighter jets were scrambled and Nuremberg Airport was temporarily closed after a Malta-registered aircraft issued an emergency alert that was later attributed to a radio communication malfunction.

Sustainable Mobility Minister Chris Bonett said the Corendon Airlines aircraft, registered in Malta as 9H-CXD, was travelling from Corfu to Nuremberg when the emergency signal was issued.

According to the Italian Command Reporting, theaircraft had the 7500 code set on its transponder, which is used to indicate hijacking.

German authorities subsequently suspended operations at Nuremberg Airport and scrambled fighter jets to escort the passenger aircraft.

Police cordoned off the airport and launched an investigation into the emergency alert.

The aircraft landed safely in Nuremberg at around 12:16pm local time, where authorities conducted security checks before issuing the all-clear.

According to Bonett, the alert was triggered by a technical malfunction in the aircraft’s radio communication system. Corendon Airlines confirmed that all passengers and crew remained safe throughout the flight.

The incident came hours after a separate suspected drone sighting disrupted operations at Nuremberg Airport earlier on Tuesday.

According to the airport, six flights were delayed and two incoming flights were diverted to other airports as a precaution during the earlier incident.