Ryanair flight returns to Porto due to false hijacking alarm

A Ryanair flight direct to Dublin turned back towards Porto just minutes after takeoff due to a false hijacking alarm. The pilot had transmitted squawk code 7500, the international signal associated with a possible hijacking or cabin intrusion.

The alarm was triggered when a 48-year-old female passenger handed some sheets of paper to a flight attendant, writing that she felt she was being followed by three people. After returning, the flight departed for Dublin with a delay of about two and a half hours. The mystery remains regarding the woman's behavior: according to some sources she returned on board, according to others she was escorted out of the airport.

Squawk code 7500 is one of three internationally standardized emergency codes that pilots can enter into an aircraft's transponder, a device that transmits identification and position information to air traffic controllers on the ground. This system originated in the 1970s to address the growing threat of aircraft hijackings, a phenomenon that had peaked in the 1960s and 70s.

Code 7500 specifically signals an ongoing hijacking. The other two main codes are 7700 for general emergencies (such as technical failures or medical problems) and 7600 for radio failure. When a pilot enters 7500, air traffic controllers are trained to provide priority assistance to the aircraft, coordinate with security authorities, and prepare ground emergency procedures without alerting the hijackers through explicit radio communications.

The standard procedure dictates that, once the code is activated, the crew follows established safety protocols, often including an immediate return to the nearest airport where law enforcement can intervene. In the case of the Ryanair flight, the report of a passenger feeling followed led the pilots to apply this maximum precaution protocol, even though it later turned out to be a false alarm.