It’s a question that might pop into your head as you gaze out of your window seat, watching the world shrink below: “How many planes are actually in the air at this very moment?” It turns out, this isn’t just idle curiosity. With today’s technology, we can actually get a pretty good estimate. We reached out to the experts at FlightAware, a leading flight-tracking software company, to get the inside scoop on just how busy the skies are.
Decoding the Skies: The Number of Commercial Planes Aloft
Back in 2017, FlightAware crunched the numbers and discovered that there were, on average, around 9,728 commercial airplanes soaring through the skies at any given time. Think about that for a moment – nearly ten thousand commercial jets carrying passengers across the globe simultaneously! Of course, this figure is constantly in flux, a dynamic dance of take-offs and landings happening every second.
However, the landscape of air travel has shifted in recent years. The pandemic brought significant changes, leading to fewer planes in the air. Kathleen Bangs, spokesperson for FlightAware, a commercial pilot, and former airline pilot, explained, “We’ve observed approximately 10,000 to 20,000 fewer flights per day since the pandemic’s onset, continuing through 2021 and 2022.” Data from FlightAware indicates this represents a decrease of roughly 10% to 20% compared to pre-pandemic levels.
So, doing some quick calculations based on these figures, we can estimate that there are likely between 7,782 and 8,755 commercial planes airborne at any given moment in these post-pandemic times.
Beyond Commercial: A Broader View of Air Traffic
But commercial flights are just one piece of the puzzle. Consider the vast world of cargo planes, military aircraft, and private jets. According to FlightAware’s data, commercial aviation only accounted for about 46.4% of all flights in 2021. This means the total number of planes in the sky could be significantly higher – potentially double the commercial figure! This brings the estimated total to somewhere in the range of 15,500 to 17,500 planes navigating the airspace at any given time.
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It’s also important to remember that air traffic fluctuates throughout the year. “Generally, the summer months are the busiest for most countries due to increased leisure travel demand, especially around major holidays and long weekends,” Bangs notes. “In the U.S., January is typically the slowest month for air travel.”
Unveiling the Technology Behind Flight Tracking
How do companies like FlightAware keep tabs on all these aircraft? The answer lies in a technology called Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast (ADS-B). Most modern planes are equipped with ADS-B transponders that automatically broadcast data, including their location, altitude, and airspeed, to air traffic controllers. Flight tracking companies tap into this publicly available data to power their systems.
FlightAware, for example, operates its own global network of 34,000 ground-based ADS-B receivers, complemented by satellite receivers orbiting the Earth. This sophisticated network enables them to track flights virtually anywhere on the planet, even in remote regions like vast oceans, deserts, and the polar areas.
While this level of tracking might raise privacy concerns for certain flights, there are safeguards in place. “Some military flights are blocked from our coverage. Additionally, many private aircraft owners, such as celebrities, politicians, and large corporations, often pay to ‘block’ their aircraft registration from public view,” Bangs explains. “While FlightAware can still see these blocked flights, we only release that data upon request from government agencies like the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) or NTSB (National Transportation Safety Board).”
Flight Tracking at Your Fingertips: Apps for Aviation Enthusiasts
For those fascinated by real-time flight data, several user-friendly flight-tracking apps are available. While FlightAware is primarily used by aviation industry professionals, regular users can also access its data. Flightradar24 is another popular choice, particularly among aviation enthusiasts, and Plane Finder offers a third alternative.
These companies offer both free and paid versions of their software, accessible on desktops and mobile devices. Upgraded paid tiers provide more detailed data and features. Flightradar24 even boasts an augmented reality mode that allows you to point your smartphone camera at a plane overhead and instantly identify the airline, flight number, altitude, origin, and destination.
Even simpler, iPhone users can ask Siri, “What planes are overhead?” and receive a list of nearby aircraft.
The next time you’re on a plane, or simply curious about the world above, remember that you’re part of a vast, interconnected network of air travel, with thousands of planes sharing the skies at any given moment. It’s a testament to the scale and complexity of modern aviation.
