Track a Flight in Real Time The FlightStats' Flight Tracker lets you see the location and track the progress of most commercial flights in US, Canadian, and European air space on a Google™ map. Key Features: Updates aircraft position automatically Displays altitude, position, speed and distance from airports Displays other relevant content such as current airport delays, on-time flight performance and weather The map supports both automatic and manual pan/zoom Share a link to track a flight with friends and colleagues Click Here to Track Your Flight

FlightStats collects information from a large number of sources (government, airline, airport and others) and presents an intuitive display of flight information. Registered users can explore details collected from each data source. For more details, see an in-depth explanation below, but in summary FlightStats:

Tracks flight status in near real-time within the US airspace Combines runway and gate Times Has global coverage based on information from airlines and airports Provides excellent codeshare mapping Links US airport delay information to the affected flight Stores information historically and calculates on time performance ratings

• Where does FlightStats obtain its flight status information?
• Is the information accurate?
• From where does flight positional information come ?
• What if I don't know the flight number?
• What if the flight is a codeshare (marketed by one airline and operated by another)?
• Can I see a flight's current location on a map?
• Why don't all flight trackers give you the same information?
• Can I track international flights?
• Can I schedule alerts by email or to my mobile phone?
• Is the arrival time a runway time or a gate time? What's the difference?
• Can I see data for all arrivals at my airport?
• Can I track all flights on a particular route?
• How can I see the on-time arrival performance for a flight I'm considering for purchase?
• Can FlightStats give me gate information for arrivals and departures?

Where does FlightStats obtain its flight status information?

Complete, accurate data is the cornerstone of our business. Data quality sets us apart from competitive solutions:

• Geographic Coverage - FlightStats provides definitive information for approximately 99.5% of U.S. flights, and more than 86% of flights worldwide.
• Completeness - FlightStats queries multiple sources to create a record for each flight, enabling us to offer more complete information (for example, gate information).
• Accuracy - We have invested heavily in the areas of parsing, interpretation and error checking, and we have developed logic that handles difficult issues such as cancellations, diversions and changing schedules.
• Codeshare Support - Our codeshare logic enables us to deliver flight information for both the operating and the marketing carriers, filling what is often a major gap in coverage.

Real-time data sources include:

• FAA ASDI Data Feed
• European Data Feed
• GDS (Sabre, Amadeus, Apollo, Galileo)
• Direct Airport and Airline Data Feeds

Batch data sources include:

• OAG Schedules
• TSA Security Wait Times
• Security Information
• Health Information
• Consular Information

Is the information accurate?

There are many factors that can affect a flight while it's in the air. Weather, air traffic control directives, congestion on the taxi-ways and more. The arrival times we publish are estimates based upon the best information we can obtain. We update that information each minute. We can't guarantee the accuracy of the information. But our estimates are rarely off by more than a few minutes.

Where does flight positional information come from?

Most flight tracking applications use a single source of data - the US Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Aircraft Situation Display to Industry (ASDI) data feed. The ASDI data feed tracks flights primarily within United States airspace and contains information for flights controlled by US air traffic control. Pilots file a flight plan with air traffic control before take-off that contains information such as:

• the expected departure time
• route
• estimated arrival time

Once the flight departs, the FAA publishes information about the position, altitude and speed of the flight as well as estimates on arrival times. For security reasons, the information published on the ASDI feed is delayed for 5 minutes. FlightStats supplements FAA data with data from other sources including airport and airline data feeds to give you both runway and gate times whenever possible. To track European flight positions, we use a data feed compiled by AirNav Systems   from a network of interconnected positional receivers that gather ADS-B global positioning system (GPS) data transmitted from planes operating in European air space.

What if I don't know the flight number?

That's not a problem. You can get a list of all flights arriving at a given airport by selecting the "By Airport" tab. Or you can see a list of all flights on a given route by selecting "By Route". You can usually find the flight you want to track from the route, airline, and timing information.

What if the flight is a codeshare (marketed by one airline and operated by another)?

FlightStats can help you find the right flight to track even if it's a codeshare. A codeshare is essentially a marketing agreement between two airlines where a flight operated by carrier A is marketed under another flight number by carrier B. For example, Lufthansa 9355 may actually be operated by United Airlines as UA 938. The only information that comes across the ASDI stream is the information for the operated by flight (for example UA 938). Some flight tracker tools require the user to know the operating carrier flight number. FlightStats does the mapping necessary for the codeshare flight number so that either flight number can be used.

Can I see the flight's location on a map?

Yes, if you know the airline and the departure or arrival city, you can zero in on the precise geographic position and estimated arrival time of the flight. The new flight tracker combines the power of Google™ Maps with FlightStats up-to-the minute flight data to show you the exact location of the flight over a standard, satellite or hybrid map of North America or Europe. And our airport trackers show the current location of all flights in the vicinity of a specified airport. Please note that the location data is delayed by five minutes for the safety and security of the flight and its passengers.

Why don't all flight trackers provide the same information?

To be useful to travelers and family members, flight trackers often have to fill in some of the gaps in the government-supplied data - gate times, for example. There are other variables to consider as well. There is typically, but not always, a message sent to air traffic control upon departure. In cases where that message is not sent, a flight tracker needs to be able to estimate the actual departure time. The same goes for arrival times. The estimation methods used by the various flight trackers vary causing discrepancies in the information they provide.

Can I track international flights?

Our coverage of global flights is the best in the industry. We cover more commercial passenger flights than anyone in the world. In addition to our complete coverage of North American flights, we cover flights operating in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and just about everywhere else. Our coverage varies from continent to continent. But we are continually seeking data sources to help us fill in the gaps. Our coverage spans the globe and we show you more in-depth information than any other service.

Can I schedule alerts by email or to my mobile phone?

Yes. All you have to do is register with FlightStats and fill in your notification preferences in your profile. Once you've done that, you can receive notices by email or text message to a PC or mobile device. We'll notify you if anything changes and when the flight departs or arrives.

Is the arrival time a runway time or a gate time? What's the difference?

Flight status tools are available on airline websites, at airports and other websites showing the flight's published departure and arrival time, as well as the estimated or actual times. Most, but not all, flight status tools show gate times not runway times. Some tools like ours will show you both the gate times and the runway times. On arrivals, the runway time is the time the plane touches down on the runway. The arrival gate time includes the time it takes to taxi to the gate. On departures, the gate time is the time at which the plane pulls back from the gate. The runway time for departures is the time at which it the flight takes off and includes the time it takes for the plane make its way from the gate through the queue of planes waiting to depart.

Can I see data for all arrivals at my airport?

Yes. Click the "By Airport" tab. Type in the airport code if you know it. If not, type in the city name and select the airport code from the drop-down box. Select the date and the time period (local time for the airport) for the flights you want to see, and hit "Go". You'll be able to scroll through an entire list of arriving flights. If you see a flight you want to track, click on the flight number for detailed status information. For flights that haven't yet departed or are en route, you can click on the cell phone or email icons to schedule alerts.

Can I track all flights on a particular route?

Yes. Select the "By Route" tab. Type in the airport names or codes for the departure and arrival airports, specify the date you want to use for the search, and select "Go". You'll see a list of all flights on that date connecting those two airports. If you see a flight you want to track, click on the flight number for detailed status information. For flights that haven't yet departed or are en route, you can click on the cell phone or email icons to schedule alerts.

How can I see the on-time arrival performance for a flight I'm tracking?

When you get to the flight status detail screen, under the arrival information, you'll see the flight's on-time performance percentage, its average delay, and its overall FlightStats rating (five stars is best).

Can FlightStats give me gate information for arrivals and departures?

More often than not, we can give you both the departure gate and the arrival gate for a flight. Both data points are open to change due to airport traffic conditions. So you should check back often or schedule an alert to let you know if the gate information has changed.