40 Facts About Flightradar24

The Origins of Flightradar24

Flightradar24 has a fascinating history that began with two aviation enthusiasts in Sweden. Let's explore how this platform came to be and its early days.

1. Founding: Flightradar24 was founded by two Swedish aviation enthusiasts in 2006 as Flygbilligt.com and later Flygradar.nu for Northern and Central Europe.

2. Launch: The service officially launched in 2009, allowing anyone with a suitable ADS-B receiver to contribute data.

Building the ADS-B Network

The backbone of Flightradar24 is its extensive ADS-B network. This section delves into how the network operates and its impressive reach.

3. ADS-B Network: Flightradar24 aggregates data from multiple sources, primarily from crowdsourced information gathered by volunteers with ADS-B receivers and from satellite-based ADS-B receivers.

4. Coverage: The service covers over 200,000 flights per day, with more than 4 million users accessing the platform daily.

5. Receivers: As of 2019, Flightradar24 has the largest ADS-B network in the world, with over 40,000 connected receivers.

Data Sources and Signal Types

Understanding the types of data and signals Flightradar24 uses is crucial to appreciating its accuracy and reliability.

6. Data Sources: The platform uses three primary data sources: ADS-B signals from ground-based receivers, multilateration (MLAT) using multiple receivers, and satellite-based ADS-B receivers.

7. ADS-B Signals: ADS-B signals contain aircraft registration, position, altitude, velocity, and other flight data transmitted by aircraft equipped with ADS-B transponders.

The Volunteer Network

Volunteers play a significant role in Flightradar24's operations. This section highlights their contributions and the technology they use.

8. Volunteer Network: The ADS-B network is largely run by volunteers, mostly aviation enthusiasts, who contribute by installing and operating ADS-B receivers.

9. MLAT Coverage: While 99% of Europe is covered by MLAT, only parts of the US are covered, making MLAT less effective in the US compared to Europe.

Expanding Coverage with Satellites

Satellites help fill in the gaps where ground-based receivers can't reach. Let's see how Flightradar24 uses this technology.

10. Satellite Coverage: Satellites equipped with ADS-B receivers fill in coverage areas outside of the terrestrial ADS-B network, particularly over oceanic territories.

11. US/Canada/Australia Radar Data: The platform also uses radar data from the US, Canada, and Australia to fill in coverage gaps over oceanic territories and for weather-related data.

Diverse User Base

Flightradar24 isn't just for aviation enthusiasts. Its user base is diverse, including families, airlines, and more.

12. User Base: Flightradar24 has a diverse user base, including aviation enthusiasts, families tracking flights, and major airlines like Airbus, Boeing, and Embraer.

Real-Time and Historical Tracking

One of the platform's standout features is its ability to provide real-time and historical flight data. Here's how it works.

13. Real-Time Tracking: The platform provides real-time tracking of aircraft flights, including origins and destinations, flight numbers, aircraft types, positions, altitudes, headings, and speeds.

14. Historical Data: Users can access historical flight data by airline, aircraft, aircraft type, area, or airport, allowing for detailed analysis of past flights.

15. Time-Lapse Replays: The platform offers time-lapse replays of previous tracks, enabling users to visualize the flight path and speed of aircraft over time.

Accessibility and Mobile Apps

Flightradar24 ensures its service is accessible on various platforms, including mobile devices.

16. Mobile Apps: Flightradar24 is available via a web page or mobile device apps, making it accessible on various platforms.

17. iOS Application: The service was introduced as an iOS application in July 2010, expanding its reach to mobile users.

Media Exposure and High-Profile Incidents

Flightradar24 gained significant media attention during several high-profile aviation incidents. This section covers those moments.

18. Exposure in 2010: Flightradar24 received extensive media exposure in 2010 due to its role in tracking flight disruptions caused by the Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruptions.

19. High-Profile Crashes: The platform was used by multiple major news outlets following several high-profile crashes, including Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, Malaysia Airlines Flight 17, and Indonesia AirAsia Flight 8501.

20. Web Traffic Surge: In 2014, Flightradar24 reported a significant increase in web traffic following these incidents, with some access congestion experienced by users.

21. Metrojet Flight 9268: The platform provided critical information about Metrojet Flight 9268, which broke up in the air, helping investigators and the public understand the incident.

Collaborations and Special Features

Flightradar24 continues to innovate and collaborate with other platforms to enhance user experience.

22. Collaboration with Infinite Flight: In 2023, Flightradar24 collaborated with Infinite Flight to offer detailed 2D and 3D models as well as liveries of airlines, enhancing the user experience.

23. Santa Tracker: Every Christmas Eve, Flightradar24 activates its "Santa Tracker," allowing users to follow a simulated journey of Santa Claus as he "delivers" presents worldwide, similar to NORAD Tracks Santa.

ADS-B Equipment and Technology

The technology behind Flightradar24's tracking capabilities is impressive. Let's look at the equipment and software involved.

24. ADS-B Equipped Aircraft: As of 2019, about 80% of aircraft in Europe are equipped with ADS-B, while 60% in the US are equipped, though some older Boeing models are not.

25. Typical ADS-B Receivers: Common ADS-B receivers include Kinetic Avionic's SBS-1 and AirNav-systems' AirNav, which are used by volunteers and enthusiasts.

26. Software-Defined Radio: ADS-B signals can also be received and uploaded by low-cost software-defined radios, further expanding the platform's capabilities.

Localization and Global Reach

Flightradar24's commitment to localization and translation has made it accessible to a global audience.

27. Localization and Translation: With over 40 million app downloads worldwide, localization and translation were high priorities for Flightradar24, ensuring the service is accessible to a global audience.

28. Support and Localization Team: The platform's Support and Localization Team Manager, Olga Kalmykova, and Director of Communications, Ian Petchenik, have played crucial roles in managing translations and communications.

Evolution and Growth

From a small project to a global service, Flightradar24's journey is remarkable. Here's how it evolved over the years.

29. Initial Motivation: Flightradar24 began as a way to bring traffic to a flight comparison site built by its founders. When the map of flight traffic gained more attention than the price comparison site, they decided to make Flightradar24 its own service.

30. Growth of Network: The goal was not initially to become an authoritative source, but as the capabilities of ADS-B flight tracking became clear, they focused on growing their network from a few receivers in 2009 to over 23,000 today.

31. Challenges in Development: Supporting a network of tens of thousands of ADS-B receivers and databases containing hundreds of thousands of individual aircraft, thousands of airports, airline schedules, and more is an immense undertaking.

32. Preparing for Global Reach: With hindsight, preparing for a broad task by focusing on reaching users in multiple languages sooner would have been helpful.

Essential Information and User Value

Flightradar24 provides invaluable data to both investigators and everyday users. Here's why it's so essential.

33. Essential Information: Flightradar24's ability to provide useful data to investigators—as well as its users—has come as they've grown the world’s largest ADS-B receiver network.

34. Value to Users: As the network has grown, their value to a wide variety of users has increased dramatically, making ADS-B data from their network an invaluable resource.

Unique Features and Subscription Benefits

Flightradar24 offers several unique features and benefits for subscribers. Let's explore what sets it apart.

35. Military Aircraft Tracking: Military aircraft can be tracked on the site, showing distinct flight paths that differ from commercial aircraft, often performing specific exercises and flying in random patterns.

36. Airport Information: Users can click on any airport pinpointed on the map to reveal flight arrival and departure times, including past and future flights.

37. Free Version Limitations: The free version of Flightradar24 only works in 30-minute periods, requiring users to refresh the page when the session times out to continue tracking flights.

38. Custom Alerts: The platform offers custom alerts that allow users to set notifications for specific flights, airlines, aircraft types, or registrations, adding conditions like geographic or altitude restrictions.

39. Enhanced 3D View: Users with a subscription can access an unlimited Enhanced 3D view, allowing them to follow a flight with a 3D model of the aircraft and realistic terrain, available on both the web and mobile apps.

40. Subscription Features: A subscription to Flightradar24 provides an ad-free experience, access to additional aircraft information, Extended Mode S data, air traffic control region information, historical flight data searchable by aircraft registration or flight number, and more.

Flightradar24's Impact on Aviation

Flightradar24 has transformed how we track flights. Starting in 2006, it grew from a small project into the largest ADS-B network worldwide. With over 40,000 connected receivers, it covers more than 200,000 flights daily. The platform's real-time tracking, historical data, and mobile apps make it a favorite among aviation enthusiasts, families, and airlines. High-profile incidents like the Eyjafjallajökull eruption and Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 brought it into the spotlight, showcasing its value. Collaborations, such as with Infinite Flight, and features like the Santa Tracker, add to its appeal. The service's extensive coverage, user-friendly interface, and commitment to innovation make it indispensable in aviation. Whether you're tracking a loved one's flight or analyzing past data, Flightradar24 offers unparalleled insights into the skies.