Turkish Airlines flight to Islamabad diverts to Baku after GNSS fault
Turkish Airlines flight TK-710, an Airbus A330-300 carrying registration TC-LOE, had departed Istanbul on a scheduled overnight service to Islamabad International Airport, where it was due to land at 3:35 pm Pakistan Standard Time.
The flight proceeded normally for roughly the first two hours before the crew experienced a disruption in the aircraft's Global Navigation Satellite System signals while cruising at 39,000 feet over the Caspian Sea region.
Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the pilots declared an in-flight emergency as a precaution once the GNSS signals dropped out, then coordinated with air traffic control to divert to the nearest suitable airport.
Following the emergency declaration, the crew initiated a rapid descent and turned the widebody jet toward Baku. The aircraft landed safely on runway 34 at Heydar Aliyev International Airport, with emergency response teams positioned on the ground ahead of its arrival as a standard precaution for diverted flights.
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Airport staff safely disembarked all passengers after landing and escorted them into the terminal, where they were provided with assistance while the airline assessed next steps.
Turkish Airlines has not yet confirmed a revised departure time for the aircraft or announced when the affected passengers will continue on to Islamabad.
TK710, Istanbul-Islamabad, has just diverted to Baku after squawking 7700. The aircraft is now taxiing toward the terminal area after a safe landing.https://t.co/pLP8TmxRQW pic.twitter.com/qyeinL5jgH
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) July 16, 2026
TK-710 operates daily on the roughly 3,950-kilometre route between Istanbul and Islamabad, typically using Airbus A330-300 aircraft. GNSS signal disruptions of this kind, while inconvenient, are a recognised precautionary trigger for diversions, since pilots rely on satellite positioning for accurate navigation, particularly on long-haul routes crossing multiple national airspaces.
