The global geopolitical situation has been unstable recently. In a previous article, "6 GIS Websites for Global Ship Positions", we introduced 6 GIS websites for obtaining global ship positions. Someone left a message on the MalaGIS WeChat public account asking if there is a way to get real-time positions of global aircraft? Of course, there is. Today, let's share a few commonly used GIS websites.
Technical Principles
The way aircraft are "seen" is somewhat similar to ship AIS, but the technical approach differs slightly. Traditional aviation surveillance relies on ground-based radar and manual air traffic control dispatch, but it faces issues like extensive coverage gaps and data update lags. With the development of the aviation industry, ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance – Broadcast) technology has gradually become mainstream. Mandated by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), airborne transponders determine their own position via satellite navigation and then automatically and continuously broadcast information such as aircraft identity, longitude/latitude, altitude, heading, and speed via radio, enabling air-to-air and air-to-ground real-time surveillance. Its core principles are as follows:
- ADS-B Data Acquisition:
Airborne ADS-B transponders broadcast data every 1-5 seconds, including key information like aircraft registration number, flight number, latitude/longitude, altitude, and speed. Ground-based receivers cover land and coastal areas, while space-based ADS-B satellites fill the coverage gaps over oceans, deserts, and other areas not covered by ground stations, achieving global monitoring without blind spots. - Multi-source Fusion and Positioning:
Some targets may only transmit Mode S without a direct position. In such cases, Multilateration (MLAT) using Time Difference of Arrival (TDOA) from multiple stations can be employed for positioning. This data is then verified and supplemented with information from traditional secondary radar and air traffic control systems. - GIS Spatial Visualization:
Trajectory points are projected onto a Web Mercator base map, color-coded based on altitude, airline, aircraft type, etc. Using tile slicing and incremental update mechanisms, real-time rendering of tens of thousands of global flights is achieved. Finally, multiple layers such as flight routes, sectors, and weather are overlaid to form a unified spatiotemporal air situation picture.
International Mainstream (Top Choices for Global Flights)
Flightradar24
URL: https://www.flightradar24.com/
Arguably one of the most familiar aircraft tracking websites for the public. It utilizes tens of thousands of receivers globally plus some satellite data, allowing you to see most major commercial flights worldwide. It supports multi-dimensional searches by flight number, airport, airline, aircraft type, registration number, etc., and allows you to view track replays, flight altitude profiles, on-time performance statistics, and more. The map base map and icon design are detailed, and it supports 3D view browsing. This is also the aircraft tracking website I use most frequently.
FlightAware
URL: https://www.flightaware.com/
FlightAware leans more towards being a comprehensive flight information service platform. Its data sources include ADS-B, radar, and data feeds from airlines/airports. Besides real-time positions, you can also view flight schedules, delay alerts, weather radar overlays, and other information. It's suitable for users concerned with flight operation status and airport congestion conditions. After registering, you can set up your own receiver to contribute data and unlock some advanced features.
RadarBox (AirNav RadarBox)
URL: https://www.radarbox.com/
Based on global ADS-B + satellite data, it emphasizes real-time performance and coverage. It offers various base maps and track replay functions, allowing filtering by altitude, speed, airline, etc. It is suitable for regional airspace monitoring and traffic flow observation. It also supports integrating self-built receivers into the network.
Geek/Research Oriented (Open Data, More Features)
ADS-B Exchange
URL: https://www.adsbexchange.com/
It claims to be the world's largest community-driven, unfiltered ADS-B network. Unlike mainstream commercial sites, it does not filter sensitive targets like military aircraft or business jets, making it frequently cited by military observers and data journalists. It provides a real-time map, raw data feeds, and historical data products, supporting various data formats like JSON, suitable for visualization development and data analysis.
OpenSky Network
URL: https://opensky-network.org/
This is an open-source air traffic monitoring platform geared towards the research community. It aggregates multi-source data including ADS-B and Mode S, provides an online real-time map, and also opens up vast historical datasets and API interfaces, facilitating research in areas like trajectory mining, airspace safety, and flight efficiency. For GIS developers, it's an excellent data source for trajectory big data analysis and machine learning modeling.
Conclusion
Whether it's AIS for tracking ships at sea or ADS-B for tracking aircraft in the sky, it's essentially a combination of sensor networks, spatiotemporal big data, and GIS visualization. The former allows us to gain insights into energy and cargo shipping lanes, while the latter helps us understand airspace structure, route competition, and the context of global connectivity.
The websites shared in this article, ranging from mainstream public ones like Flightradar24 and FlightAware, to geek/research-oriented ones like ADS-B Exchange and OpenSky Network, and finally domestic travel-oriented ones like VariFlight and Umov, can satisfy curiosity and serve as important gateways for GIS and data analysis work. If you know of any more niche and interesting aircraft tracking websites, feel free to leave a comment and let us know.