Glossary
ADS-B flight data
ADS-B flight data is aircraft position and status derived from Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast signals collected by ground receiver networks, extended over oceans by satellite ADS-B and ADS-C. Of the sources cataloging it here, FlightAware tracks about 201,000 arrivals per day against a 699-million-flight database.
What is ADS-B flight data?
Aircraft continuously broadcast their identity, position, altitude and velocity over 1090 MHz and 978 MHz; anyone with a receiver can decode them. ADS-B flight data is that stream turned into records - live positions, then histories.
Two collection models dominate this slice. FlightAware fuses more than 41,000 terrestrial receivers with Aireon satellite ADS-B, ACARS/datalink and radar feeds. The OpenSky Network runs a non-profit crowdsourced network collecting ADS-B, Mode-S, ADS-C and FLARM, exposing a live REST API and Trino-queryable history reaching back to 2013. ADS-B Exchange Historical Data also appears among the slice's related datasets as an unfiltered historical source.
Why does ADS-B flight data matter when choosing a dataset?
Because collection footprint decides what you will miss. Terrestrial receivers concentrate on land; oceanic and polar segments only appear once satellite ADS-B or ADS-C is fused in - which is exactly why FlightAware pairs its 41,000+ ground stations with Aireon.
Depth matters just as much as breadth. A vendor selling cargo flight history without stating a history start date cannot match OpenSky's documented 2013 baseline, and one without daily volume evidence cannot be checked against FlightAware's ~201,000 arrivals tracked per day. Unfiltered crowdsourced feeds also carry raw messages that need deduplication before analysis, so ask what processing stage you are buying.
How do you evaluate ADS-B flight data in a source?
- Ask how the signal is collected. FlightAware documents 41,000+ terrestrial receivers plus Aireon satellite ADS-B, ACARS/datalink and radar; OpenSky relies on crowdsourced ADS-B, Mode-S, ADS-C and FLARM. Oceanic coverage requires the satellite leg.
- Check history depth and queryability. OpenSky's archive goes back to 2013 and is Trino-queryable - a concrete benchmark for any historical claim.
- Weigh volume against database size. FlightAware reports 699 million flights stored and ~201,000 arrivals tracked daily; treat comparable published counters as a health check.
- Read the access terms before scraping. Some tracking sites restrict automated collection outright, pushing sanctioned use toward their APIs.
Related terms
- automated-collection-prohibition - terms that bar scripted collection from tracker sites.
- state-vector-history - the per-timestamp position records ADS-B streams resolve into.
Compare providers on the air-freight-logistics data hub.
Frequently asked questions
How much of the globe does ADS-B flight data cover?
Land areas well, via dense receiver networks - FlightAware cites 41,000+ terrestrial receivers. Oceanic gaps close only where satellite ADS-B such as Aireon or ADS-C datalink is fused into the same feed.
Which open ADS-B history goes back furthest here?
The OpenSky Network's non-profit crowdsourced network offers Trino-queryable history back to 2013 alongside a live REST API, while ADS-B Exchange Historical Data appears as a related historical option in the same slice.
Datasets containing this field
Datasets containing ADS-B flight data
6 datasets carry ads-b flight data in the catalog. Open one, count the fields, judge for yourself.
ACI World Data Centre - Airport Traffic Statistics
Rank · Airport · Cargo tonnes …+3 more
BTS T-100 Air Carrier Statistics (Form 41 Traffic)
Data.gov Aviation Tag Catalog
Eurostat – Freight and Mail Air Transport by Main Airports (AVIA_GOOA)
freq · unit · tra_meas …+6 more
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