With commercial aviation at its peak, the short answer: a lot.
Curious travelers probably often wonder just how many planes are in the air at the same time.
Thanks to technology and the fact that every single plane is tracked, its easily answered.
A composition of multiple airplanes flying through a blue sky.Credit:tobiasjo/Getty Images
The numbers vary quite a bit.
Obviously, at three in the morning, its going to be substantially less.
The numbers vary by season, too.
An airliner of India’s IndiGo carrier flies over the setting sun in New Delhi.Prakash Singh/Getty Images
The lightest month for air travel last year was February, with 658,630 flights.
There are anywhere from 160,000 to 200,000 planes landing on a typical day.
Not surprisingly, Bangs said the airline industry has rebounded, topping pre-pandemic records.
Another trend brought about by the pandemic is the increase in people opting for private air travel.
Bangs says business aviation (private jet travel) in 2024 is up 16 percent compared to pre-COVID.
How do companies track flights?
Flights can be tracked using a technology called Automatic Dependent SurveillanceBroadcast (ADS-B).
Flight-tracking companies use this public data to inform their own systems.
FlightAware, for example, has 35,000 ADS-B flight feeders mounted on the ground worldwide.
But not all planes are trackable.
What are some flight-tracking apps you could use at home?
Two other options areFlightradar24andPlane Finder.
All three tracking companies have free versions of their software, accessible both via desktop and on mobile apps.
For the frequent flier, Bangs said FlightAware has two key uses.
If youre connecting its fantastic, says Bangs.
