How to use Flight-tracking Apps? Five Best Flight Tracking Apps for Emergencies

The tragic Ahmedabad plane crash has once again highlighted the importance of real-time flight tracking. When every second matters, flight-tracking apps deliver faster and accurate updates than official channels, helping families stay informed, guiding rescue teams to the aircraft's last location, and enabling airlines to coordinate timely rescue efforts.

Whether you're a frequent traveller or a concerned family member, you should know how to use these apps, and to make your job easy, we have listed the five best flight-tracking apps for emergencies.

Five Best Flight-tracking Apps for Emergencies

Before diving into how to use a flight-tracking app, it's important to know what these apps are, how they work, and the benefits they offer, especially during emergencies. There are several flight-tracking apps available; however, choosing the right one can make all the difference when it comes to accessing accurate, real-time information during emergencies. Let's take a look at the five best flight-tracking apps you can use -

Flightradar24

Flightradar24 is a Swedish-based flight-tracking service that provides real-time aircraft movement on an interactive global map and detailed information such as flight numbers, routes, aircraft types, altitude, speed, heading, and even historical flight data. The Flightradar24 can be downloaded from both the App Store and the Google Play Store.

During the Ahmedabad plane crash, Flightradar24 played a crucial role by delivering timely and accurate data. Shortly after the incident, the platform shared a key update on X (formerly Twitter):

"We are following reports of a crash of Air India flight #AI171 from Ahmedabad to London. We received the last signal from the aircraft at 08:08:51 UTC, just seconds after take off. The aircraft involved is a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner with registration VT-ANB"

FlightAware

FlightAware is another flight-tracking app, developed by an American multinational tech company. It provides real-time, historical, and even predictive flight data, making it a go-to platform for both travellers and aviation experts. As of 2019, FlightAware holds the title of the world's largest flight-tracking network, powered by over 32,000 ADS-B ground stations spread across more than 200 countries.

Plane Finder

Plane Finder is a United Kingdom-based real-time flight tracking service that launched in 2009. It provides global flight data, including live flight numbers, aircraft speed, altitude, location, and destination. The app uses ADS-B data to offer highly accurate tracking, and its easy-to-use interface makes it accessible for both aviation professionals and everyday users.

Flightview

Flightview is a user-friendly flight-tracking app that lets you track flights, manage travel plans, and stay updated on airport delays. It also provides arrival and departure boards and weather forecasts to help you prepare for your trips.
KAYAK
KAYAK is another flight-tracking app, which is available in about 20 languages and 30 countries, including India. It's a worldwide flight tracker, which provides the latest updates on changes to arrival or departure times, cancellations and other information.

How to use Flight-tracking Apps?

Here's a quick guide on how to use the Flight-tracking app -

Download the App - Install your preferred flight-tracking app (like Flightradar24, FlightAware, or Plane Finder) from the App Store or Google Play Store.

Search by Flight Number or Route - Once downloaded, enter the Airline name, flight number, date, or other details like departure and arrival airports in the search bar to find the specific flight you want to track.

View Real-Time Data - Once selected, the app will show live data such as the plane's current location, altitude, speed, estimated arrival time, and more. You can click on live map view to check its full details and flight path.

Moreover, you can turn on push notifications to receive instant alerts about delays, cancellations, takeoffs, landings, or any unusual activity. Some apps allow users to replay past flights useful feature in case of incidents or investigations.