Fleet Air International Cargo Plane Returns to Bratislava After Radio Loss

A cargo aircraft operated by Fleet Air International returned to M.R. Štefánik Airport on Wednesday after losing radio contact with air traffic control shortly after takeoff.

The aircraft, an ATR 72-202(F) with the Hungarian registration HA-KAW, departed from Bratislava at 7:13 a.m. with a planned destination of Tangier, Morocco.

Approximately 22 minutes into the flight, the crew changed course and turned back toward the airport. According to the aviation tracking page Letectvo, the pilots activated transponder code SQUAWK 7600 during the flight. This international signal indicates a loss of two-way radio communication between the aircraft and ground control.

While the loss of contact represents a serious operational situation requiring adherence to specific international safety protocols, the use of code 7600 does not constitute a declaration of a general emergency; the code 7700 is reserved for such instances.

The flight, which was scheduled to arrive in Morocco around midday, was a cargo transport. Although the ATR 72 model has a capacity for approximately 70 passengers in its standard configuration, officials have not disclosed the number of people on board during this specific cargo mission. The aircraft ultimately landed safely back at the Bratislava airport.

[SQ7600] Operator: Fleet Air International Flight: FRF140 Aircraft: AT72 (HA-KAW) ATR 72-200 Route: BTS → TNG From Bratislava Airport, Slovakia To Tangier Ibn Battouta, Morocco#squawk7600 #FRF140 #HAKAW #BTS #TNG pic.twitter.com/B2ryvCIe6j

— Post by @Squawk7700com on X

The exact cause of the communication failure and the specific technical circumstances leading to the crew’s decision to abort the flight remain unknown. Authorities have yet to confirm whether the incident was caused by a fault in the onboard communication system or another operational issue. Further details are expected to be provided by the operator or relevant aviation authorities as the investigation continues.

Lietadlo z Bratislavy náhle zmenilo kurz, do cieľa v Afrike nedorazilo – Pravda

Photo: Netky.sk

Lietadlo z Bratislavy bolo na ceste do Afriky a prišiel kritický problém, pilot okamžite otočil stroj – Netky

Nákladné lietadlo po štarte z Bratislavy zmenilo kurz a vrátilo sa, pričom vyslalo kód pre stratu rádiového spojenia.