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Live · ADS-B open data
Live Flight Tracker
Watch aircraft in real time on a 3D globe — callsign, altitude, and ground speed for every visible flight, anywhere on Earth. Spin the globe for the world's busiest hubs, or zoom into any region for its full local traffic.
- Live ADS-B transponder data
- Four open sources · automatic failover
- Refreshes every 15 seconds
- Free — no account or app
FlightLogic's free flight tracker shows live aircraft worldwide on an interactive 3D globe — it opens with traffic around the busiest hubs, and zooming anywhere loads full local traffic for a 250 nautical-mile circle. No sign-up, no account, no app; ADS-B data refreshes continuously.
Map layers
Extra layers are advisory context from open NASA, USGS, TfL, Fintraffic and CelesTrak data — not an operational feed.
Below 10,000 ft 10–30,000 ft Cruise Select any aircraft for details
How it works
- Aircraft broadcast their position.
Every few seconds, airliners transmit their location, altitude, and speed via ADS-B transponders — a public, unencrypted radio signal.
- Volunteer receivers share the data.
Community ground stations feed open networks like airplanes.live, adsb.lol, adsb.fi, and the OpenSky Network. FlightLogic's edge relay tries each in turn and switches automatically if one rate-limits or drops, so the map keeps updating.
- You see the live sky.
Markers refresh every 15 seconds, rotated to each aircraft's heading. Click any plane for its callsign, flight level, and ground speed.
How to read the map
Each marker is a live aircraft, rotated to its heading. Click one for its callsign, altitude, and ground speed. Airline callsigns use the operator's three-letter ICAO code — BAW is British Airways ("Speedbird"), VIR Virgin Atlantic, RYR Ryanair, EZY easyJet, UAE Emirates. Match any carrier in our airline directory, or check facilities before pickup with our airport guides.
Flight tracker FAQs
How does live flight tracking work?
Almost every airliner broadcasts its position, altitude, and speed via an ADS-B transponder. Networks of ground receivers — including the community-run OpenSky Network and adsb.lol feeds this page uses — collect those broadcasts and share them, letting maps plot aircraft in near real time (typically a few seconds' delay).
How do I track a specific flight to see if it is delayed?
For a specific arrival or departure, the airline's own app and the airport's live boards are the authoritative sources — link through our airport guides at /airports for every major hub. This map is best for watching live traffic anywhere in the world; airline callsigns shown here (like BAW123) map to flight numbers (BA123).
Why can't I see a particular aircraft on the map?
Coverage depends on volunteer ground receivers, so low-altitude aircraft in remote areas can drop out. Some military, private, and blocked aircraft do not appear in open data at all. Position updates can also lag by several seconds.
Is my flight delayed if it shows a late departure on the tracker?
Not necessarily — aircraft often make up time en route. If your arrival does land 3+ hours late, UK261 compensation of £220–£520 may apply when the cause was within the airline's control. Our flight delay compensation guide at /guides/uk261-flight-delay-compensation-uk explains eligibility and how to claim for free.
Can I see the International Space Station on the map?
Yes — switch on the Satellites layer and the tracker plots the roughly 160 brightest objects in orbit, including the ISS, Tiangong, and the Hubble Space Telescope. Positions are computed live from CelesTrak's open orbital element data using the SGP4 propagation model and refresh about every 25 seconds. Click any satellite for its name, altitude, and orbital speed.
Are the traffic cameras on the map live?
Yes — the Traffic cameras layer shows Transport for London's JamCam network (roughly 700 live cameras on London roads) and Fintraffic's Finnish road camera network (about 800 stations), both published as open data. Each camera serves a still image refreshed every five to ten minutes rather than streaming video, which is how these agencies distribute their feeds. Click a camera and use Fullscreen or Open in new tab for a bigger view. More countries' open camera networks are planned.
Live positions courtesy of the OpenSky Network research project and the adsb.lol open ADS-B feed · Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors. Open data can lag or drop aircraft — never use this page for operational decisions.