Flight Radar – track your flights live for free

Track a flight – three ways to search

Flight number. Click the search field at the top of the radar and enter the flight number, for example BA283 or FR1995. Select the flight from the list and follow the aircraft live on the map from that moment on.

Airport. Enter the name of an airport or city, for example London, New York or Amsterdam, and the map flies there, so you see everything on the ground, on approach and departing. The boards with the day’s arrivals and departures are on this site’s airport pages, such as Los Angeles (LAX) and Chicago O’Hare (ORD), which you find via the search in the menu.

Map. Drag the map and zoom in to find any aircraft. Click a plane symbol to start tracking it immediately; for an airport, type its name or code in the radar search and the map flies there.

What do the symbols on the flight radar mean?

The symbols are simple: yellow symbols are aircraft. Airliners, small planes and helicopters each have their own shape, and airport ground vehicles appear as a small square. The symbols scale with the zoom level. Click any aircraft to open its panel: photo, airline, flight number, route with a progress bar and expected arrival time, altitude, speed and heading, plus tabs with an altitude and speed graph, the flight times and the aircraft’s previous flights.

Which technology makes live flight tracking possible?

ADS-B. The most accurate data source. The aircraft receives its GPS position from satellites and continuously broadcasts it through its ADS-B transponder. Ground receivers pick up the signal and pass the data to tracking services, so you see the aircraft on the map with virtually no delay. Every aircraft on the map is there because a receiver somewhere picked up its transmission. Follow the signal and you follow the flight: from pushback at the gate to touchdown on the runway.

MLAT (multilateration). If an aircraft has no ADS-B transponder, its position is calculated from the time differences with which its signal reaches several receivers. This works in regions with a dense receiver network, such as Europe and North America.

Position estimation. Outside receiver coverage, for example over the ocean, the radar keeps an aircraft moving along its known heading and speed towards its known destination. Such aircraft are drawn translucent and the panel notes the position is estimated; the real position can differ.

FlightRadar.Online and Flightradar24 – what is the difference?

FlightRadar.Online is the free flight radar you use right on this page. Flightradar24 (FR24) is the world’s largest commercial flight tracking service, founded in Sweden in 2006 and grown into a worldwide network of receiver stations. FR24 offers a free basic version and paid subscriptions (Silver, Gold and Business) with extra data such as detailed weather, 3D view and flight history. Current prices are listed on the Flightradar24 website. For everyday flight tracking, the free radar on this page is more than enough.

Frequently asked questions

Is flight tracking free?
Yes. The flight radar on FlightRadar.Online is completely free and requires no registration. Paid subscriptions from external services only add extra data for enthusiasts.

Where do I find a flight number to search?
Enter the flight number in the radar’s search field, for example DL83, and select the flight from the list. You will find the number on your ticket, boarding pass or booking confirmation.

Does the flightradar show delays?
The radar shows the aircraft’s actual position and the scheduled and estimated times, so a delay is visible immediately. The reason for the delay is rarely shown; when in doubt, check the airport or airline website.

Why can’t I see some aircraft?
The radar itself hides nothing. Aircraft that transmit no ADS-B are not visible: some military and government flights, and small aircraft without a transponder. Military aircraft that do transmit are shown and marked as military.