BERLIN (Azat TV) — German authorities scrambled two Eurofighter jets from Neuburg Air Base on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, after a passenger flight traveling from the Greek island of Corfu to Nuremberg transmitted the transponder code “7500,” which indicates an unlawful interference or hijacking, according to official reports. The Corendon Airlines Boeing 737-800, operating flight XR456, also experienced a temporary loss of radio contact while flying through Croatian airspace, prompting a high-level security response across European airspace.
According to RustourismNews, the aircraft landed safely at Nuremberg Airport at approximately 12:16 p.m. local time after being intercepted and accompanied by the German military jets. Local police and security teams immediately sealed off the facility, restricted road access, and temporarily suspended operations while emergency procedures were activated.
Security Response and Airport Disruption
The transmission of the emergency transponder code and the concurrent loss of communication triggered strict safety protocols. According to statements published on X by Cyprus Mail, German police noted that because the pilot could no longer be reached by radio and the cockpit signaled an active hijacking case, various alarm scrambles were immediately initiated for safety reasons. Ground operations at Albrecht Dürer Airport Nürnberg ground to a halt, affecting multiple scheduled arrivals and departures.
Incoming commercial flights were diverted to alternative airports including Frankfurt, Munich, Memmingen, and Stuttgart. Airport authorities issued an official all-clear at approximately 1:20 p.m. following thorough inspections by security personnel. Police confirmed that passengers and crew were never in danger, allowing normal operations to resume around 1:30 p.m. as airlines began managing delayed schedules and repositioning aircraft.
Airline Explanation and Technical Investigation
Corendon Airlines attributed the security scare to a technical malfunction within the aircraft’s communication systems. In official statements cited by Cyprus Mail, the Turkey-based leisure airline explained that the emergency signal was transmitted while the Boeing 737-800 was in Croatian airspace “due to a brief malfunction in the radio communication system.”
The carrier emphasized that no emergency situation occurred and that the aircraft, passengers, and flight crew remained safe throughout the journey. While authorities treated the incident as a confirmed false alarm, the precise technical circumstances surrounding how a standard radio glitch triggered a specific hijacking squawk remain under active investigation by aviation regulators and technical teams.
Broader European Aviation Security Context
The high-stakes interception occurred against a backdrop of heightened surveillance and security concerns across European skies. As reported by ABC News, European authorities have stepped up airspace monitoring in recent weeks amid an increase in mysterious drone incidents and geopolitical tensions linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine. Just hours before the Corendon flight arrived, Nuremberg Airport had experienced a separate overnight disruption involving three pilot reports of an unidentified object near the airfield between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m.
Although police investigated the overnight sightings with a helicopter and delayed several flights, authorities found no connection between the drone reports and the subsequent Corendon emergency. The German Air Force routinely maintains two alarm squads, each consisting of two fighter jets, to investigate lost civilian communication—events that occur roughly once or twice a month, according to military data.