The key facts

  • A Boeing 737 flying from Agadir to Marseille issued an emergency signal shortly after takeoff and returned to Agadir airport
  • Aircraft from Nantes and Brussels waited in a holding area before landing
  • On October 15, several aircraft issued emergency signals, including a British Air Force plane

Return to Agadir

A Boeing 737 passenger aircraft that took off from Agadir (Morocco) bound for Marseille issued an emergency signal on board shortly after takeoff. According to TASS, citing air traffic control services, as reported by Gazeta.Ru, the aircraft made several circles over the Atlantic coast and began returning. According to the agency's source, the plane returned to Agadir airport.

Consequences for other flights

The incident also affected other flights: two aircraft heading to Agadir from Nantes and Brussels were sent to a holding area, where they circled several times until they received clearance to land. The publication does not report the reason why the signal was triggered on board the Boeing 737.

A series of similar signals earlier

This is not the only such case in recent weeks: on October 15, according to flight data, several aircraft issued emergency signals — including a Royal Air Force reconnaissance Boeing Poseidon MRA1 flying over the North Sea while approaching the Scottish coast, a Volotea aircraft on a route from Toulouse to Caen, and a light Grob G115E aircraft flying between Bedale and the village of Minskip. It was also previously reported that an aircraft flying from London to Washington issued an emergency signal. The publication does not specify what caused these signals or whether they ended in landings.