flightstatus

Flight status refers to the current condition and location of an aircraft as it moves through its journey from departure to arrival. It combines scheduled information, such as planned departure and arrival times, with real-time updates on the flight’s progress, including its current phase (pre-flight, taxiing, airborne, or landed) and any changes to timing or routing. Status indicators typically cover on time, delayed, boarding, departed, in flight, landed, taxiing, canceled, and diverted, with estimated times used when actual times are not yet known.

Flight status data are gathered from multiple sources. Airline operations control centers provide official progress updates; airports and air traffic control supply timing and gate information; radar, ADS-B, and GPS-based tracking offer position data for in-flight aircraft. Public and commercial flight-tracking services aggregate feeds from airlines, airports, and authorities to present unified statuses to users.

The information is used in several ways. Passengers consult flight status to plan check-in, connections, and arrivals. Airlines and airports display statuses on their websites, mobile apps, and at physical displays to manage operations and customer service. Travel services and media outlets also rely on flight status data to inform travelers and the public.

Limitations and caveats include data latency, variability in data quality across regions, and differences between scheduled versus actual times. Some flights may have incomplete or conflicting updates, especially during disruptions or outages. Users should verify critical details with official airline or airport sources for high-stakes travel decisions.

See also: flight tracking, airline operations, airport information systems.