A Boeing 737 Max being moved across Europe made a forced landing after being denied entry into German airspace
A spokesman for Norwegian told Business Insider the company was trying to move the jet from Málaga, Spain, to its base in Stockholm on Tuesday with no passengers on board.
He said Norwegian was trying to ensure all its 737 Max aircraft were in the same place during preparations for the US air regulator, the Federal Aviation Administration, to approve a software update for the plane model that should allow it to fly again.
But the jet was denied entry to German airspace and was instructed by French air-traffic controllers to land the plane in France, he said.
“Just before entering German airspace both the German and French authorities sent a notice that prohibited repositioning flights of the Boeing 737 Max in their airspace,” a statement from Norwegian said. “Our pilots were instructed to land south of Paris.”
Norwegian said the flight had been approved by Eurocontrol, Europe’s air-traffic management organisation, and the European Aviation Safety Agency, Europe’s aviation regulator.
The flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 shows that the plane travelled over France and
circled at the German border before landing in France.