Flightradar24 is a flight tracker that shows live air traffic from around the world. Flightradar24 combines data from several data sources including ADS-B, MLAT and radar data. The ADS-B, MLAT and radar data is aggregated together with schedule and flight status data from airlines and airports to create a unique flight tracking experience on www.flightradar24.com and in Flightradar24 apps.
The primary technology that Flightradar24 use to receive flight information is called automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B). The ADS-B technology itself is best explained by the image to the right.
ADS-B is a relatively new technology under development, which means that today it’s rarely used by Air Traffic Control (ATC). Our estimations show that roughly 70% of all commercial passenger aircraft (80% in Europe, 60% in the US) are equipped with an ADS-B transponder. For general aviation this number is probably below 20%. The percentage of aircraft equipped with ADS-B receivers is steadily increasing though, as they will become mandatory for most aircraft around the world by 2020. When mandatory, ADS-B will replace primary radar as the primary surveillance method used by ATC.
Flightradar24 has a network of more than 20,000 ADS-B receivers around the world that receive flight information from aircraft with ADS-B transponders and send this information to our servers. Due to the high frequency used (1090 MHz) the coverage from each receiver is limited to about 250-450 km (150-250 miles) in all directions depending on location. The farther away from the receiver an aircraft is flying, the higher it must fly to be covered by the receiver. The distance limit makes it very difficult to get ADS-B coverage over oceans.
On cruising altitude (above 30,000 feet) Flightradar24 covers 100% of Europe and of the USA. There is also good ADS-B coverage in Canada, Mexico, Caribbean, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil, South Africa, Russia, Middle East, Pakistan, India, China, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand. In other parts of the world the ADS-B coverage varies. We are continually adding coverage all over the world via our FR24-receivers.
In some regions with coverage from several FR24-receivers we also calculate positions of non-ADS-B equipped aircraft with the help of Multilateration (MLAT), by using a method known as Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA). By measuring the time it takes to receive the signal from aircraft with an older ModeS-transponder, it’s possible to calculate the position of these aircraft. Four FR24-receivers or more, receiving signals from the same aircraft, are needed to make MLAT work. MLAT coverage can only be achieved above about 3,000-10,000 feet as the probability that four or more receivers can receive the transponder signal increases with increased altitude.
Most parts of Europe and North America are today covered with MLAT above about 3,000-10,000 feet. There is also some MLAT coverage in Mexico, Brazil, South Africa, India, China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand. More areas will get MLAT coverage as we continue to add new receivers to our network.
Satellite-based flight tracking is the latest step in our quest for global ADS-B coverage. Satellites equipped with ADS-B receivers collect data from aircraft outside our terrestrial ADS-B network’s coverage area and send that data to the Flightradar24 network. Satellite-based ADS-B data available on Flightradar24 comes from multiple providers. As the number of satellites supplying data and their location are dynamic, satellite coverage varies. Generally, satellite-based ADS-B increases coverage of flights over the ocean where ground-based reception is not possible. Only aircraft equipped with an ADS-B transponder may be tracked via satellite.
In addition to ADS-B and MLAT, we also receive additional live data for flights in the North America. This data is based on radar data (not just aircraft equipped with ADS-B transponders) and includes most scheduled and commercial air traffic in the US and Canadian airspace, as well as parts of the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean.
Tracking data for gliders and other light aircraft comes from the Open Glider Network (OGN). It’s a project that has the goal to provide a unified tracking platform for gliders, drones and other small aircraft. Currently focused on tracking aircraft equipped with FLARM and OGN trackers, but also accepting other data sources such as SPOT, FANET, PilotAware, etc.
When an aircraft is flying out of coverage Flightradar24 keeps estimating the position of the aircraft for up to 2 hours if the destination of the flight is known. For aircraft without known destination, position is estimated for up to 10 minutes. The position is calculated based on many different parameters and in most cases it’s quite accurate, but for long flights the position can in worst cases be up to about 100 km (55 miles) off. In settings there is an option to set for how long time you want to see estimated aircraft on map.
When ADS-B was initially launched, it was primarily used in commercial passenger aircraft with 100+ passengers. An increasing number of aircraft including smaller aircraft types, are getting ADS-B transponders but, until ADS-B becomes mandatory it’s up to the aircraft producer and owner to decide if an ADS-B transponder should be installed or not.
Common aircraft models that usually have an ADS-B transponder and are visible on Flightradar24 (within ADS-B coverage):
Common aircraft models that usually do not have an ADS-B transponder and are not visible on Flightradar24 (within ADS-B coverage):
Of course there are lots of exceptions from these rules. There are some older A300, A310, A320, B737, B747, B757, B767, MD10, MD11 aircraft flying without an ADS-B transponder, which make those aircraft invisible on Flightradar24 when in areas with ADS-B coverage only. But there are also some Twin Otters, Saab 340, Saab 2000 and MD-80 aircraft with an ADS-B transponder that are visible on Flightradar24 in areas with ADS-B coverage.
In regions with MLAT, radar, or Flarm coverage most of the air traffic is tracked and visible independent of aircraft type. That includes propeller aircraft, helicopters and gliders. But as mentioned above, MLAT coverage is limited to some areas with many FR24 receivers and can normally only be achieved at altitudes above about 3,000-10,000 feet, which means that general aviation at lower altitudes may be flying below MLAT coverage. North American radar data in most cases does not include general aviation flights without a flight plan. Radar data is often missing aircraft registration information and aircraft tracked with MLAT in many cases are missing the callsign information.
Information about a small number of flights may be limited or blocked based on requests from owners or operators via third-party services, such as the FAA LADD. Some high profile aircraft, such as Air Force One are not displayed. Most other aircraft subject to restriction are shown as anonymized by aircraft type.
In areas where Flightradar24 normally have coverage, all major airports are marked with blue airport markers.
Flightradar24 relies on volunteers around the world for the majority of our coverage. Find out how you can contribute and host a receiver.
Please note that coverage and aircraft visibility is dependent of many parameters including aircraft type, aircraft transponder type, aircraft altitude and terrain, so coverage can be different for different aircraft, even on the same location. If an aircraft you are looking for is not visible on Flightradar24 it either does not have a compatible transponder or it’s out of Flightradar24 coverage.
The service was founded by two Swedish aviation enthusiasts in 2006 as Flygbilligt.com and later Flygradar.nu for Northern and Central Europe. The service was opened in 2009, allowing anyone with a suitable ADS-B receiver to contribute data.
From 3 March 2020, ADS-B data collected by satellite was made available to all users. Aircraft located using satellite data are coloured blue on the map, and yellow if located by terrestrial receivers.
The service received extensive exposure in 2010, when international media relied on it to describe the flight disruption over the North Atlantic and Europe caused by the Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruptions.Flightradar24 came at the turn of the month July-August 2010 as an iOS application.
In 2014, it was used by multiple major news outlets following several high-profile crashes: the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, and in July 2014 after Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over Ukraine, and in December when Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501 went missing. Flightradar24 reported that its web traffic increased to around 50 times normal, which caused some access congestion to users.
In November 2015, The Guardian newspaper reported that Metrojet Flight 9268 en route to Saint Petersburg from Sharm el-Sheikh International Airport had broken up in the air based on information available from Flightradar24.
In February 2022, during the Russo-Ukrainian War, the website crashed due to an influx in visitors tracking flights in and around Ukraine.
In March 2022, the site was used to see the playback of the crash of China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735.
In 2009, three years after we installed the first ADS-B receiver on a roof in Stockholm, Sweden, we launched Flightradar24.com and opened the Flightradar24 network, making it possible for anyone with an ADS-B receiver to share data. We quickly added coverage all over Europe and began to expand outward. In late 2010, we published our first global coverage snapshot.
Our coverage growth would not be possible without our committed receiver hosts and those sharing ADS-B data with our network. Thank you all! To put that growth into perspective, on 1 May 2011 at 12:00 UTC we tracked 1554 flights. Today at the same time we were tracking more than 15,000.
By December 2010, we had coverage over much of Europe and in pockets in the Middle East, Brazil, and the United States.
By mid-2011 we added coverage in Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, and China and expanded our European coverage.
Over the next year, through July 2012, we expanded our coverage area to Japan, southwestern Russia, Chile, western Australia, South Africa, India, Kazakhstan and increased our coverage elsewhere.
By February 2013, we had multiple receivers in Greenland, expanded our coverage in India, Thailand, Russia, Brazil, and the US east and west coasts, as well as added coverage in the Caribbean.
As of January 2014 we greatly increased our coverage in the United States and Canada with access to North American radar data. We also continued to add coverage in South America, especially in Brazil. South Africa, southeast Asia, India, Australia, Eastern China, and Japan also saw tremendous increases in coverage. All the while we continued to add receivers in Europe to add coverage at lower altitudes.
A year later in February 2015, our coverage had grown in South America, expanding in Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, and Chile, especially. Our coverage in Mexico grew significantly, as did our ADS-B and MLAT coverage in the United States and Canada. Our coverage in Russia expanded east and north covering many more flights between Europe and east Asia. We also installed our first receiver in Antarctica in December 2015.
In 2016, we continued to expand our coverage area, pushing north and south with new receivers in places like Yellowknife and Resolute in Canada and Ushuaia in Argentina. We also worked hard to expand our transoceanic coverage with new receivers on a number of islands in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
In 2019, our terrestrial coverage area has expanded to include much more oceanic airspace as well as significantly greater coverage in South America, Africa, and northern Asia.
We’ll continue to add terrestrial receivers and explore new and exciting ways to track additional flights. Stay tuned for more soon!
We are always looking for new receiver hosts. Especially if you or someone you know lives in a remote location, please apply to host a receiver. All of our receiver hosts get a free Flightradar24 Business Subscription. If you’re interested, please apply today. If you’d you like more information about our application process, you can read more about it in our blog post.
If you prefer to use your own hardware and have a Raspberry Pi you can now help us increase MLAT coverage as well. Please see our Build your own receiver page for more information and to begin sharing data today.
Finding – establishing the existence of a target;
Determination (measurement) of the coordinates of the target;
Determination (calculation) of the movement parameters of the target by subsequent
radar information processing .
See where an aircraft has been or compare data from previous flights to the current flight in the app.
Replay a flight with playback and follow along with a detailed speed and altitude graph.
Know which flights are coming and going at airports around the globe and keep track of where aircraft are located with our ‘on ground’ information. You can also view detailed airport weather conditions in the weather tab.
One of our most requested features, see day and night overlaid on the map.
Volcanic activity can clear airspace and bring flight traffic to a halt. Know where volcanic eruptions and ash clouds are impacting flights.
Want even more great features? Upgrade to a Flightradar24 subscription to get access to features like additional map layers, weather info, and extended flight history. Your subscription can be used across multiple platforms—load Flightradar24 on your iPhone or iPad, Android device, and PC!
With a Flightradar24 subscription, you’ll have access to these great features and more:
Current weather at 3000 airports around the world, clouds, and precipitation so you can see how weather is affecting flights.
These layers include aeronautical charts, ATC boundaries, and oceanic tracks.
See history for individual flights and aircraft as far back at 180 days.
Take Flightradar24 data with you on the go with our CSV and KML file downloads, now available in our app.
Easily upgrade today from within the new app by tapping Upgrade to begin your Flightradar24 subscription 7-day free trial to take advantage of these great features right away.
We’ve updated our Augmented Reality feature in the app and given it a new easy to navigate interface. You’re now able to see photos of the aircraft, so you’ll not only know what flight you’re tracking, but have a detailed photograph of the airplane as well. You’ll also be able to find a flight with AR view and begin tracking it alongside every other flight on the map directly from the AR view.
Experienced and accomplished chief executive with 10+ years of international Internet startup experience. Led the incorporation of Flightradar24 in 2012 and transformed what started as a hobby-project into the world’s go-to flight tracking service with 2 million daily users, an app that has been the #1 selling app overall in the App Store in 100+ countries, and a customer list that includes the largest names in aviation.
Early career highlights include founding site that went on to generate $2M+ in annual revenue (niche poker site RakeBrain.com), profit & loss, product and staff responsibility for the world’s largest poker portal PokerListings.com (annual revenue in excess of $25M) and a dozen local versions of the site, part of building a 50+ employee online marketing office in Vancouver, Canada from scratch, and successfully managing staff (mainly SEO, PPC, Email Marketing, and Conversion Optimization Specialists) across four offices in as many time zones.
Flightradar24 is a Swedish internet-based service that shows real-time aircraft flight tracking information on a map. It includes flight tracking information, origins and destinations, flight numbers, aircraft types, positions, altitudes, headings and speeds. It can also show time-lapse replays of previous tracks and historical flight data by airline, aircraft, aircraft type, area, or airport. It aggregates data from multiple sources, but, outside of the United States, mostly from crowdsourced information gathering by volunteers with ADS-B receivers and from satellite-based ADS-B receivers.
In recent years the unregulated air traffic tends to increase. The rapdly expanding UAV
market for the general public neccesitates the creation of a public source of information on all
air traffic. Flightradar24 project shows clearly how the opportunities for air situation
display in real time are increased by combining flight information from different sources
and by appropriate data processing, without the need to use traditional methods for radar
surveillance and offering the gathered information to the public.
The only drawback of the Flightradar24 project is the inability to observe and depict
aircraft without switched on or with damaged transponders.
By integrating and processing flight information from different sources, the
possibilities for monitoring and display of the air situation in real time is improved,
including overlarge areas with no radar surveillance. This will significantly improve the
opportunities for ATC in these areas, which in turn will lead to increased flight safety.
The introduction of systems that collect and process flight information from different
sources is a promising direction, which in many cases may be the only possible solution
to ensure the process of ATC over areas without radar coverage.
Source : flightradar24 _ en.wikipedia.org _ researchgate
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