Hijacking scare on Greece-Germany flight

FRANKFURT, Germany: A flight from a Greek holiday island to Germany accidentally sent out a hijacking alert to several European countries Tuesday, prompting fighter jets to be scrambled and a brief airport closure.

The service operated by Corendon Airlines was en route from Corfu to Nuremberg in southern Germany when it "inadvertently" transmitted the alert, German police said.

"The aircraft could no longer be reached by radio to clarify the situation," prompting warnings to be activated in several European countries, police said.

A Rafale fighter jet was scrambled from Croatia to intercept the Boeing passenger jet while the German military also dispatched warplanes.

Nuremberg airport suspended operations after the alert was triggered and police were deployed to the scene.

But after the German fighter jets escorted the plane to land, police inspected the aircraft and found there was no danger.

In the early hours Tuesday, flights were also briefly disrupted at the airport after pilots reported suspected drone sightings.

Several German airports have had to suspend operations for brief periods in recent months due to drone activity, with suspicion often falling on Russia.

Germany, one of Ukraine's key backers in its fight against Russia, accuses Moscow of waging a campaign of espionage and sabotage on its soil.