Germany Airport Shuts Down After Three Pilots Spot Suspected Drone Near Runway

Flight operations at Nuremberg Airport were temporarily suspended after three pilots reported an unidentified flying object near the airfield. Police launched a security operation but could not confirm the presence of a drone.

Flight operations at Germany’s Nuremberg Airport were temporarily suspended on Tuesday following reports of a suspected drone near the airfield, prompting authorities to launch a security investigation.

Albrecht Dürer Airport announced the suspension on its official website, citing an “aviation emergency.”

“Flight operations have been suspended for the time being. More information will follow,” the airport said in its initial statement.

Three Pilots Report Suspicious Object

According to German police, three pilots reported spotting a suspected drone near the airport during take-offs and landings between 2 am and 4 am local time.

The reports prompted German air traffic control, airport management and border police to initiate a joint security operation. Authorities suspended flight movements as a precaution while teams searched the airport premises, Anadolu Agency reported.

A police helicopter was also deployed to assist in locating the unidentified object.

However, the search failed to establish whether a drone had entered the restricted airspace.

Corendon Airlines Flight Lands Safely

Amid the disruption, authorities also received a report concerning an aircraft arriving from Corfu, Greece.

German police confirmed the incident in a statement on X.

“We received a report of an unclear air emergency,” police said.

The aircraft involved was identified as Corendon Airlines flight XR456, which was operating a scheduled service from Corfu to Nuremberg.

The airport subsequently confirmed that the flight had “now landed safely.”

Police said the aircraft landed as scheduled and that inspections conducted after its arrival found no immediate danger.

“Investigations into the cause are currently underway,” police said.

“The aircraft in question is a scheduled flight from Corfu, which landed in Nuremberg as planned. On-site inspections have determined that there is no danger.”

Police Continue Investigation Into Drone Reports

German police spokesperson Michael Petzold said the security operation, including an aerial search, had failed to locate the reported object.

“The measures carried out, which included among other things a police helicopter, did not lead to the verification of the reported object. The Nuremberg border police inspectorate is now conducting further investigations to clarify the events,” Petzold said.

Authorities have not confirmed whether the object spotted by the pilots was a drone or something else.

Airport Handles Millions Of Passengers Annually

Nuremberg’s Albrecht Dürer Airport is a regional aviation hub in Germany, primarily serving holiday destinations across southern Europe and Turkey.

According to airport statistics cited by The New York Times, the facility handled approximately 4.5 million passengers in 2025.

The incident raised security concerns at the airport, although police said their inspections had found no immediate threat.