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The live flight tracker relies on the network created by advanced technologies such as ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance–Broadcast), ASTERIX (All Purpose Structured Eurocontrol Surveillance Information Exchange), and MLAT (Multilateration), and sometimes satellites as well.
The source of the system data is mainly ADS-B which is a relatively new technology under development, which means that today it is rarely used by Air Traffic Control (ATC). According to FlightRadar24, roughly 70% of all commercial passenger aircraft (80% in Europe, 60% in the US) are equipped with an ADS-B transponder. For general aviation this number is probably below 20%. The percentage of aircraft equipped with ADS-B receivers is steadily increasing though, as they will become mandatory for most aircraft around the world in the future. When mandatory, ADS-B will replace primary radar as the primary surveillance method used by ATC.
- Aircraft gets its location from a GPS navigation source (satellite)
- The ADS-B transponder on aircraft transmits signal containing the location (flight information and much more)
- ADS-B signal is picked up by a receiver
ADS-B data is broadcast every half-second on a 1090MHz, digital data link. ADS-B broadcasts may include:
Flight Identification (flight number callsign or call sign)
ICAO 24-bit Aircraft Address (globally unique airframe code)
Position (latitude/longitude)
Position integrity/accuracy (GPS horizontal protection limit)
Barometric and Geometric Altitudes
Vertical Rate (rate of climb/descent)
Track Angle and Ground Speed (velocity)
Emergency indication (when emergency code selected)
Special position identification (when IDENT selected)
