A false hijacking alert prompted Germany to dispatch fighter jets. Turkish low-cost airline clarified: radio failure
Creighton Airlines flight XR456 mistakenly triggered a hijacking code due to a radio failure, and the German police dispatched special police and fighter jets to respond
Quick Look
- Turkish Creighton Airlines flight XR456 from Greece to Nuremberg, Germany, issued a hijacking alert, causing Germany to dispatch fighter jets and blockade the airport.
- It was later confirmed that the incident was caused by a failure of the radio communication system.
- Everyone on board was safe and the airport has returned to normal operations.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
If an aircraft encounters a hijacking in flight, it will usually send code 7500 via radio to notify the air traffic control unit.
After a hijacking alert was issued on a flight bound for Nuremberg Airport, the German police dispatched the special operations unit SEK to respond. (AP)
Turkey's low-cost airline Corendon Airlines issued a hijacking alert on flight XR456 from Corfu, Greece, to Nuremberg, Germany, today (13th), forcing the German authorities to send special police units to blockade Nuremberg Airport and even dispatched fighter jets to guard the airport. Fortunately, it was later confirmed to be a false alarm. Corendon Airlines claimed that a "radio communication system failure" led to the accident.
Based on reports from Reuters and the Associated Press, the German police initially issued a document explaining the situation on the
After the alarm was issued, the German authorities immediately dispatched fighter planes to escort the flight, and the police also blocked the airport to investigate. Fortunately, the flight landed smoothly and the incident ended safely.
Creighton Airlines later explained that the plane issued a hijacking case code "due to a brief failure of the radio communication system" when it was in Croatian airspace. "There was no emergency and there was no danger to the passengers, crew or aircraft at any point in time."
Nuremberg Airport said the incident caused the airport to suspend operations, but normal conditions have been restored after the incident was resolved.
Open Questions
- What was the specific technical cause of the radio failure?
