Information regarding the Squawk alerts

[Mike]

Since Fightradar24 started to show alerts, there has been 2 false hijack alerts. We don't know the reason behind the alerts, if it has been a technical error with the transponder, pilot error or some other error. To prevent future misunderstandings we will not send out any more 7500 (hijack) alerts. For all other alerts we want to once again clarify that it's a 4-digit code from a transponder. We never know the reason behind the alert. We don't know if it's true, false, error or something else. For more information about Squawk codes please read on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transponder_(aviation)

Twitter 7500 alerts was already removed last week, and alerts will be removed from iOS app in next update.

[Mod]

Quite frankly I think this information should be for public consumption and not restricted.
Squawks can be often be incorrect and all emergencies could be life threatening.
Please don't play the world police game..

[DanTheMan]

Wiki link above is missing a closing bracket and should read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transponder_(aviation)

[Mike]

Quite frankly I think this information should be for public consumption and not restricted.
Squawks can be often be incorrect and all emergencies could be life threatening.
Please don't play the world police game..

We are not playing world police, but the police has started several investigations after people, who has seen the alerts, has called the police to report aircraft hijacks. We have an agreement with other tracking pages and providers, not to put this data back online.
There hasn't been any hijacks since increased security on 9/11, so I don't think we need this squawk code more, anyway.

[Mike]

There was an incorrect 7500 alert earlier today.

http://fr24.com/2013-02-19/13:32/AAL788

[KJ4VOV]

There hasn't been any hijacks since increased security on 9/11, so I don't think we need this squawk code more, anyway.

This statement is demonstrably false. Shall I list a few for you?

• Quantas flight QF1737 on May 30, 2003
• Turkish Airlines Flight 1476 on Oct. 3, 2006
• The Air West flight that was hijacked in the Sudan in 2007
• The Air Mauritanie flight to the Canaries in Feb of 2007
• The Atlasjet flight to Istanbul that was hijacked by a couple of Arab kids, also in 2007
• Eagle Airways Flight 2279 to Christchurch on Feb 8, 2008

Shall I list more? There have been more than a dozen hijackings or attempted hijackings since 9/11

[Kpin]

The 7500 Squawk code is a confidential message from the flight crew to the Air Traffic Services. The crew is trying to alert authorities covertly without the hijackers knowing about it. To broadcast this information to the public is counter productive and may endanger the flight.
Nobody else are entitled to this information.

[KJ4VOV]

Nobody else are entitled to this information.

I was born and raised in NYC. I watched the towers being built and my family worked on their construction. I drove ambulances and worked as an EMT in that city for 14 years. Seven of the EMTs who responded to the towers and were killed when they fell were friends and former partners of mine. Two of my brothers were first responders to the scene, one NYPD the other NYFD. Don't you EVER try to tell me I'm not entitled to know if there's a hijacked aircraft that might affect me or my loved ones. I earned that right with sweat, blood and tears.

[Kpin]

I was born and raised in NYC. I watched the towers being built and my family worked on their construction. I drove ambulances and worked as an EMT in that city for 14 years. Seven of the EMTs who responded to the towers and were killed when they fell were friends and former partners of mine. Two of my brothers were first responders to the scene, one NYPD the other NYFD. Don't you EVER try to tell me I'm not entitled to know if there's a hijacked aircraft that might affect me or my loved ones. I earned that right with sweat, blood and tears.

Oh, I didn't know you were from New York. That of course entitles you to any information you want.
I'm from Denmark. Please send me your credit card details.

[KJ4VOV]

Oh, I didn't know you were from New York. That of course entitles you to any information you want.
I'm from Denmark. Please send me your credit card details.

Go wait by your mailbox.

[Mike]

There is no need to continue this discussion. 7500 alerts are permanently removed from FR24 and they will never come back.

[langelot]

Very well Master.
Under what kind of Democracy is FR24?
7500 is not a private code. No code are private anyway because they are transmitted and therefore public. They are usually part of the ATC clearance. It's transmitted "as is" and is selected from the cockpit under instruction of the ATC or...not, ie 7500 7600 7700. Simply these codes do not have exactly the same meaning.

[fungus]

Very well Master.
Under what kind of Democracy is FR24?
7500 is not a private code. No code are private anyway because they are transmitted and therefore public. They are usually part of the ATC clearance. It's transmitted "as is" and is selected from the cockpit under instruction of the ATC or...not, ie 7500 7600 7700. Simply these codes do not have exactly the same meaning.

Mate if you cant see why FR24 (or anyone else for that matter) shouldnt be transmitting 7500 hijack alerts you need to re-assess things. They were for a time and I cringed every time I saw them. Mike has stated they were removed for a very good reason and I and many, many others agree they shouldnt be broadcast. Nothing to do with democracy at all. If they were to continue being broadcast publicly it might mean the end to our hobby as we know it by giving the authorities who allow us the privilege to use the information being broadcast a reason to prevent us from doing so. There is nothing to be gained by broadcasting them in any case unless one were an 'ambulance chaser' so end of story and as Mike has said- end of discussion.

The whole idea of this hobby is to share and discuss useful and helpful information about the airline industry and tracking aircraft as a whole and to make use of it for our enjoyment and to help others to enjoy it. 7500 alerts dont fall into any of these catagories.