Flightradar24 reveals global patterns from jet streams to geopolitical no-fly zones
Journalist Tom Vanderbilt writes about using Flightradar24, a flight tracking service that relies on ADS-B satellite technology, to observe global patterns. Key observations include the North Atlantic Tracks following the jet stream, the most-tracked flights (e.g., Queen Elizabeth II's coffin flight), cargo hubs like Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, remote flights over Antarctica, and blank spots over Tibet, Russia, Iran, and Ukraine due to geography or geopolitics. Military aircraft often remain invisible, and the FAA has limited tracking for private jets.
Key facts
- Flightradar24 uses ADS-B satellite technology for faster, more accurate tracking than radar.
- North Atlantic Tracks are modified twice daily by Gander Control Center and Shanwick Control Center to optimize jet stream use.
- The jet stream is stronger at night, influencing red-eye flights from US to Europe.
- The most-tracked flight ever was carrying Queen Elizabeth II's coffin from Edinburgh to London in 2022.
- Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport is the third-busiest cargo hub globally due to refueling stops for China-US cargo flights.
- Antarctica's Wolf's Fang Runway now sees commercial flights thanks to Airbus A350's 370-minute diversion requirement.
- Russia's airspace has been off-limits to most Western countries since 2022.
- The FAA began limiting tracking for private jets after complaints from owners.
Entities
Artists
- Tom Vanderbilt
Institutions
- Flightradar24
- Gander Control Center
- Shanwick Control Center
- Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport
- US Federal Aviation Administration
- Monocle
Locations
- Shasta Lake, California
- Greenland
- North Atlantic
- Edinburgh
- London
- Anchorage, Alaska
- Alaska
- China
- United States
- Santiago
- Auckland
- Antarctica
- Wolf's Fang Runway
- Tibet
- Tibetan Plateau
- Russia
- Iran
- Ukraine
- New York
Sources
- Monocle —