Nuremberg Airport Shut After a Plane Sent a Hijack Code, Here’s What You Are Owed If Your Flight Was Diverted or Delayed

If your flight into or out of Nuremberg on 13 October 2026 was diverted or delayed, the airline must still give you meals, communication and a hotel if you are stuck overnight. Cash compensation under EU261 is unlikely, because a security alert of this kind normally counts as an extraordinary circumstance.

What happened at Nuremberg airport on 13 October

The airport suspended all flight operations around midday after XR456 sent the hijack code. Police said they could no longer reach the pilot by radio, and fighter jets were scrambled. The aircraft landed safely, and police later said they found no danger on the ground. Reports differ on whether the code was sent on departure from Corfu or on approach to Nuremberg, and no official investigation report has been published. Separately, three pilots reported an unidentified object, possibly a drone, between 02:00 and 04:00 local time. Six flights were delayed and two arrivals were diverted that night. Police have not said whether the two events are linked.

Are you owed compensation under EU261?

Probably not in cash, because a security risk is on the list of extraordinary circumstances that excuse an airline from paying EU261 compensation. EU261 sets compensation at €250, €400 or €600 depending on distance, but only when the delay or cancellation was within the airline’s control. A flight caught in a police-ordered airport closure is the textbook case where the airline can refuse. Our guide to EU261 extraordinary circumstances explains what airlines must prove.

What the airline must still give you

The right to care and rerouting does not depend on whose fault the delay was. That means meals and refreshments in proportion to the wait, two phone calls or emails, and a hotel with transport if you are stranded overnight. If your flight is cancelled you can choose a refund within seven days or a rerouting at the earliest opportunity. If the airline’s own alternative is slow, see our guide on rebooking on another airline. If a diversion to Frankfurt or Munich left you with a long road transfer, the airline must arrange or pay for the transport to your original destination.

What to do today

Keep every receipt, screenshot the delay notice and ask the airline in writing why your flight was disrupted. If the airline calls it extraordinary, ask for the specific reason. A single security alert does not excuse a delay that grew because of the airline’s own staffing or crew limits, and in that case compensation can still apply. Also check your travel insurance, since many policies pay a fixed sum for delays over a set number of hours even when EU261 does not. For the full picture across countries, read our flight rights guide.

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Cover photo: Carsten Steger via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). Section photos: Abdel Rahman Abu Baker via Pexels (Pexels licence); Jesús Esteban San José via Pexels (Pexels licence); Gustavo Fring via Pexels (Pexels licence); Chris F via Pexels (Pexels licence); Tom Fisk via Pexels (Pexels licence).