On the night of September 22, Ryanair flight FR7073, traveling from Porto, Portugal, to Dublin, Ireland, returned to its departure airport shortly after takeoff.
The airline said the cause was a “false security report,” and the flight resumed service approximately 2 hours 33 minutes late.
Reports emerged that code 7500 was transmitted during the flight, but the airline did not specify the reason.
3-Line Summary
1. Flight FR7073 returned to Porto after a security report
2. Its arrival in Dublin was 2 hours 33 minutes late
3. The use of code 7500 alone does not confirm a hijacking
FR7073 Returned to Porto 15 Minutes After Takeoff
Ryanair’s Boeing 737 aircraft operating flight FR7073 departed Porto’s Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport at approximately 10:55 p.m. on September 22, bound for Dublin. The aircraft changed course before reaching the Portugal–Spain border and returned to Porto.
A Ryanair spokesperson said the flight returned shortly after takeoff because of a “false security report,” and that service to Dublin continued after the issue was quickly resolved. The airline explained that the flight was ultimately delayed by 2 hours 33 minutes.
According to reports, the aircraft landed in Porto approximately 35 minutes after takeoff, then departed again and arrived in Dublin in the early hours of September 23. Although the flight made one diversion, it was not canceled altogether.
What Does Code 7500 Signal?
Several reports said the pilot entered code 7500 into the transponder. This is an international aviation signal indicating possible unlawful interference to air traffic control, such as an attempted hijacking or unlawful intrusion into the cockpit.
When this signal is entered, an alert appears on the controller’s screen, and air traffic control communicates with the crew as a priority while coordinating a response with the relevant authorities. Reports said the aircraft transmitted the signal after passing 1만2천 feet and that air traffic control provided priority routing and directed it to Porto.
However, Ryanair did not confirm whether code 7500 was transmitted or why it may have been transmitted. Therefore, even if the code was used as reported, it is not possible to conclude solely from that fact that an actual hijacking attempt or cockpit intrusion occurred. The cause officially stated by the airline is a “false security report.”
Reports About a Passenger Differed
Some reports said that a 48-year-old Brazilian woman handed a piece of paper to a crew member while claiming that three people were following her on board. Reports also said that, after arriving in Porto, Portugal’s Public Security Police (PSP) removed the passenger from the aircraft and checked her identity.
However, accounts of what happened afterward differed. An article citing a report by a Portuguese media outlet said that the woman boarded the flight again, while other local reports said that police escorted her outside the airport and prevented her from continuing her journey. No official explanation from local police had been confirmed at the time.
What is clear in this case is that the airline decided to divert the flight because of a security report and resumed operations. By contrast, the specific circumstances surrounding the passenger’s claim and the police action differed among reports and should be considered separately from the verified facts.
References
Tags #Ryanair #Ryanair #RyanairFlight #FR7073 #PortoAirport #DublinBoundFlight #FlightDiversion #AviationSecurity #FalseSecurityReport #Code7500 #Squawk7500 #AircraftTransponder