How Flight Tracking Works

Behind this emotional moment lies a fascinating piece of technology. Every modern plane is fitted with an ADS-B transponder, short for Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast, that enables Flight Tracking.

Here’s how it works:

1. The transponder continuously broadcasts the plane’s location, altitude, speed, and direction every second.
2. Satellites and ground receivers worldwide capture those signals.
3. The information is then displayed live on platforms such as Flightradar24, FlightAware, and RadarBox, allowing anyone with an internet connection to view the plane’s position on a live map.

To follow a flight yourself, simply visit Flightradar24.com or download the app, enter a flight number, say RAO001 or any KQ flight, and watch it move in real time. You’ll also see details such as its model, altitude, route, and estimated arrival time.

That’s exactly how thousands of Kenyans watched RAO001 glide across the Arabian Sea into Nairobi, with each data ping a heartbeat connecting a nation in mourning.

Why the Flight Tracking Call Sign Changed Only in Kenyan Airspace

Many Kenyans noticed that the flight’s name changed only when it entered Kenyan airspace around 8:50 a.m., and that’s no coincidence.

In aviation, Flight tracking call signs are tightly regulated by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and tied to specific flight plans.

While flying over India, Oman, and the Arabian Sea, the plane had to maintain its official code, KQ203.

Once it reached Kenya’s controlled airspace, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority approved the symbolic switch to RAO001, an honorary identifier visible on local radar and live tracking systems.

The World Watched Together

On Flightradar24, over 54,000 users watched as the plane glided across the map toward Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).

For context, that’s a level of tracking activity normally seen only for global events, royal funerals, major world crises, or high-profile state flights.

For a few hours, the digital sky became a window of unity. People who couldn’t be at the airport still felt part of the homecoming, their screens reflecting both technology and emotion.

Flight tracking began as a niche hobby for aviation enthusiasts. Today, it’s a global tool of connection, one that, in moments like this, turns into something deeply human.

As RAO001 descended toward Nairobi, technology met emotion. Each ping of data, each radar update, and each person watching symbolized a shared goodbye, a country united not by proximity, but by presence.