Plane sends hijacking alert mid-flight, fighter jets scramble. But there was no hijacker

A passenger plane flying from Greece to Germany triggered a major security alert on Tuesday, October 13, after its cockpit transmitted a signal indicating a possible hijacking. Within minutes, German fighter jets were scrambled, police were mobilised and Nuremberg Airport suspended operations. But there was one unexpected twist. The plane had not been hijacked. The aircraft, a Boeing 737-800 operated by Corendon Airlines, was travelling from the Greek island of Corfu to Nuremberg when it transmitted the emergency code 7500 while flying over Croatian airspace.

The code is internationally recognised as a warning of unlawful interference, including a possible hijacking. The situation became more alarming when air traffic controllers were unable to establish radio contact with the pilot. With no way to confirm what was happening inside the cockpit, authorities treated the signal as a potential security threat.