The name “Flightradar24” often appears in news feeds when flight crews lose contact, the skies empty due to volcanic ash, or a prominent politician undertakes an important trip. Sometimes, so many people are monitoring the airspace that the service restricts access.
It might seem that the map with all the aircraft comes from a centralized source with information about every flight worldwide. However, it’s actually thanks to thousands of people who buy equipment and send data to the service.
Civilian aircraft are equipped with ADS-B transmitters, which provide essential flight information during their journey. This data is intended for air traffic controllers, but anyone can receive and decode it with a receiver and a computer. These enthusiasts supply data to Flightradar24 globally.
Flightradar24’s ground network is well developed, with 40,000 receivers worldwide, according to their website. The next level in aviation tracking involves satellite data, which is essential for monitoring flights over oceans. Flightradar24 already receives some satellite data and is working to expand this network.
### Origins of the Idea
The popular resource began as a Swedish flight comparison website. In 2007, flight tracking was only a bonus feature added to attract users. Back then, Flightradar24’s coverage radius was modest, showing only flights around Stockholm.
By 2010, however, the service gained global fame. Around 4 million people watched the skies over Europe daily through Flightradar24 following the eruption of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano.
### How to Track a Flight
Anyone can observe planes on the world map, and no registration is needed for basic features. Blue markers represent airports, while blue planes indicate that a satellite, rather than ground receivers, is tracking the flight.
The homepage includes a list of planes with the most viewers and airports with significant delays or cancellations in real time. There’s a search bar at the top right to find flights by route, airline, or airport, or to view planes around your location. Just enter flight or airport details.
Flightradar24 offers a seven-day trial of its premium subscription. The paid version includes unlimited 3D flight viewing, bookmarks for specific locations or flights, an ad-free experience, and other perks. During high traffic, the service restricts access to non-subscribers.
There’s also a Flightradar24 app for iOS and Android, with a mobile version that is just as functional, allowing users to track a flight or an entire airport and check weather conditions affecting flights.
### Can Any Flight Be Tracked?
While Flightradar24 operates within legal bounds, some aircraft remain untrackable, such as military planes, state leaders’ transport, and other aircraft that have requested location blocking.
The service has faced criticism; for instance, Chinese authorities argued that flight tracking could threaten national security. However, Flightradar24’s management states that anyone can buy an ADS-B receiver online and access this information independently; their website merely aggregates it.
Flightradar24 is useful not only to journalists reporting on officials’ or celebrities’ movements but also to emergency services in searching for missing aircraft.
The company claims it doesn’t aim to be a primary source of air incident news. Instead, Flightradar24 specialists analyze data once issues surface in the media, displaying any unusual course deviations. Flight path records can also serve as evidence in court in case of a crash.
### Other Website Features
The main menu has extra resources, including videos, a podcast, and a blog. Users can view footage from the cockpit, tour airports and rare aircraft, listen to aviation news, and read industry insights.
Flightradar24 lets users create a personal log to track their travels on the map. The company also acquired JetPhotos, a massive aviation photo library, in 2015. Over 27,000 photographers have contributed more than 6 million photos. If you have a good shot, you can submit it to JetPhotos.
You can also become a project participant, submit an application, receive technical support, and read setup guides. Those who share receiver data with Flightradar24 receive a yearly premium subscription.
### Tips for Observers
A red plane on Flightradar24’s map signals a serious issue with the flight. However, a plane also turns red if you select it. Only worry about planes that turn red on their own.
The website shows a message to reload every 30 minutes. Due to the vast data flow, it needs periodic updates to function properly.
In airport mode, each flight has a color-coded circle: gray for scheduled, green for on-time, orange for delayed, and red for cancellations or delays exceeding 45 minutes.
Sometimes, a plane is visible at departure but then disappears, especially in areas with weak ground coverage. Flightradar24’s receiver network continues to grow but still has gaps in China, Iran, Iraq, Libya, and many African countries.
Clicking on a plane shows its route trail. The trail colors reflect altitude: yellow for 100m, purple for 12,500m, and red for 13,000m. A dotted line behind a plane means altitude is still being evaluated or is unavailable.
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