FlightAware Public Tracker Scraper

FlightAware Public Tracker Scraper

Scrape FlightAware public flight tracker data by flight number, up to a million flights per run. Get live flight status, departure and arrival times, aircraft type, and route details. No login or API key. Export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

FlightAware's official API requires an account, API key, and rate limits. This reads the public flight tracker pages directly, filtered by flight number, and returns each match in one fixed schema. It works for any airline, any flight, anywhere in the world.

Who uses it	What they scrape FlightAware for
Aviation enthusiasts	Track specific flights they are interested in
Travel agencies	Monitor flight status for their customers
Data analysts	Collect flight data for analysis
Logistics companies	Track cargo flights
Researchers	Study flight patterns and delays

What it does

This Actor collects FlightAware public flight tracker data by flight number and returns each flight as a flat row.

• ✈️ Flight number lookup: Enter one or more flight numbers or callsigns, like UAL100 or BAW178.
• 📊 Flat row output: Each flight is returned as a single row with consistent fields, ready for spreadsheets or databases.
• 🔢 Scalable collection: Set a maximum number of flights per run, from 1 to 1,000,000.
• 📥 Multiple export formats: Download your data as CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.

Results export to CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML, or straight from the API.

What you can do with FlightAware data

✈️ Track a specific flight.

A traveler enters a flight number to get the latest status, departure and arrival times, and aircraft type.

📊 Monitor multiple flights.

A travel agency inputs a list of flight numbers to check statuses for all their customers' flights at once.

📈 Analyze flight data.

A data analyst collects flight records over time to study on-time performance and delay patterns.

🚚 Track cargo flights.

A logistics company monitors cargo flight numbers to know when shipments will arrive.

🔍 Research aviation trends.

A researcher gathers flight data to analyze route popularity and airline operations.

Why choose this scraper

	What you get
No API key required	Scrape public FlightAware pages without registration or rate limits
Flexible input	Look up one flight or thousands in a single run
Consistent schema	Every flight returns the same fields, making analysis easy
Scalable	Collect up to a million flights per run

How it compares

This Actor focuses on scraping FlightAware public tracker pages by flight number, while the competitor offers additional input options like tail number and airport boards.

Feature	ParseForge	FlightAware Flight Tracking Scraper
Input by flight number	Yes	Yes
Input by tail number	Not listed	Yes
Airport arrivals/departures board	Not listed	Yes
Waypoint-by-waypoint track log	Not listed	Yes
Maximum flights per run setting	Yes	Not listed

Configure the run

Drive the Actor from flight numbers and set a maximum number of flights to collect per run. The Input tab lists every parameter.

A first run with the defaults:

{
 "flightNumbers": [
 "UAL100"
 ],
 "maxItems": 10
}

A larger pull:

{
 "flightNumbers": [
 "UAL100"
 ],
 "maxItems": 200
}

Pricing

Pay-per-result: $0.0085 per result collected. You pay only for the results written to your dataset.

Results collected	Approximate cost
100 results	$0.85
1,000 results	$8.50
10,000 results	$85.00

New Apify accounts start with $5 in free credit.

Free users

Free-plan runs return up to 10 results as a preview. Upgrade your Apify plan to collect up to 1,000,000 results per run.

Run it

1. Create a free Apify account with $5 in credit.
2. Open the FlightAware Public Tracker Scraper.
3. Set your inputs and any filters, then click Start.
4. Export the results as CSV, Excel, JSON, or XML from the Dataset tab.

Run it programmatically through the Apify API (run-sync-get-dataset-items) or the ApifyClient for JavaScript and Python.

Use with AI agents (MCP)

Give an AI agent live access to FlightAware through the Model Context Protocol. Add the Actor to Claude, Cursor, or any MCP client:

$claude mcp add --transport http apify "https://mcp.apify.com?tools=parseforge/flightaware-public-tracker-scraper"

Then prompt it in plain language to run the scraper and read back the results.

Troubleshooting

Why am I getting no results?

Check that the flight numbers you entered are correct and that they appear on FlightAware's public tracker. Some flights may not be publicly visible.

Why is the run slow?

Scraping many flights takes time. Reduce the maximum number of flights or split the list into smaller runs.

Why are some fields empty?

FlightAware may not provide all data for every flight. Empty fields mean the information was not available on the page.

Why did the run fail?

Check the Actor's log for error messages. It could be a temporary issue with FlightAware or your input format.

Can I get historical flight data?

This Actor only scrapes current data from the public tracker. For historical data, you would need a different source or API.

FAQ

Question	Answer
Do I need a FlightAware API key?	No. This Actor scrapes the public FlightAware website, so no API key or account is required.
What input do I need to provide?	You provide a list of flight numbers or callsigns, like UAL100 or BAW178. You can also set a maximum number of flights to collect.
What data does it return?	It returns a flat row for each flight with fields such as flight number, status, departure and arrival times, aircraft type, and route.
Can I scrape more than one flight at a time?	Yes, you can input a list of flight numbers and the Actor will process them all in one run.
Is there a limit on how many flights I can collect?	You can set the maximum number of flights per run, up to 1,000,000.
What export formats are supported?	You can export the data as CSV, JSON, Excel, or XML.
Does it work for any airline?	Yes, it works for any flight that appears on FlightAware's public tracker, regardless of airline.
Can I track flights by tail number?	Currently, the Actor only accepts flight numbers or callsigns. Tail number support is not available.
Is the data live?	The Actor scrapes the current data from FlightAware's public pages at the time of the run, so it reflects the latest available information.
Can I schedule this Actor to run periodically?	Yes, you can set up a schedule in Apify to run this Actor at regular intervals, such as every hour or every day.

Related actors

Browse the full ParseForge collection for more scrapers.

🆘 Need help? Email parseforge@protonmail.com with your run ID, your input, and what you expected.

⚠️ Disclaimer. This Actor is unofficial and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by FlightAware, LLC. It collects only publicly available data. You are responsible for using the collected data in compliance with the source's terms of service and applicable data-protection laws, including GDPR, CCPA, and PIPL. Do not use it to collect personal data unlawfully.