Yes, Flightaware is free to use.

How do I install Flightaware?

Flightaware is a local plugin. Install it using npm package: @chrischall/flightaware-mcp and add the generated configuration snippet to your AI app's MCP config file. Then restart your AI app.

Is Flightaware safe to use?

Flightaware scored 7/10 (moderate risk) in MCP Marketplace's automated security scan. It has 1 high or critical finding to review. It's listed, but review the security report on this page before installing.

What credentials does Flightaware need?

Flightaware requires the following credentials or environment variables: AEROAPI_API_KEY, AEROAPI_OUTPUT_DIR, AEROAPI_CACHE_TTL, AEROAPI_STATIC_CACHE_TTL. You can find setup instructions on the server detail page.

What AI apps work with Flightaware?

Flightaware uses the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and works with any MCP-compatible AI app, including Claude, ChatGPT / Codex, Gemini, Copilot, Cursor, and more.

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Flightaware MCP Server

by Chris Hall

Developer ToolsModerate7.0Local

Free

Live flight tracking and aviation data via FlightAware AeroAPI (flights, airports, alerts).

About

Live flight tracking and aviation data via FlightAware AeroAPI (flights, airports, alerts).

Security Report

7.0

Moderate7.0Moderate Risk

This FlightAware MCP server is well-designed with strong authentication practices and appropriate permission scoping. The API key is correctly managed through environment variables with deferred error handling, mutation operations are properly gated with confirmation flags, and caching is implemented thoughtfully to balance performance with cost. Minor code quality observations around error handling breadth and input validation do not significantly impact the security posture. Supply chain analysis found 2 known vulnerabilities in dependencies (0 critical, 1 high severity). Package verification found 1 issue.

7 files analyzed · 7 issues found

Security scores are indicators to help you make informed decisions, not guarantees. Always review permissions before connecting any MCP server.

Permissions Required

This plugin requests these system permissions. Most are normal for its category.

env_vars

Check that this permission is expected for this type of plugin.

HTTP Network Access

Connects to external APIs or services over the internet.

File System Write

Writes or modifies files on your machine. Check that this is expected for the tool.

What You'll Need

Set these up before or after installing:

Your FlightAware AeroAPI key (flightaware.com/aeroapi/portal)Required

Environment variable: AEROAPI_API_KEY

Default directory for flight-map PNGs (default: current working directory)Optional

Environment variable: AEROAPI_OUTPUT_DIR

Seconds to cache identical live-data GET responses (default 15; 0 disables)Optional

Environment variable: AEROAPI_CACHE_TTL

Seconds to cache reference data — airports, operators, routes, ownership (default 3600; 0 disables)Optional

Environment variable: AEROAPI_STATIC_CACHE_TTL

How to Install

Add this to your MCP configuration file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "io-github-chrischall-flightaware-mcp": {
      "env": {
        "AEROAPI_API_KEY": "your-aeroapi-api-key-here",
        "AEROAPI_CACHE_TTL": "your-aeroapi-cache-ttl-here",
        "AEROAPI_OUTPUT_DIR": "your-aeroapi-output-dir-here",
        "AEROAPI_STATIC_CACHE_TTL": "your-aeroapi-static-cache-ttl-here"
      },
      "args": [
        "-y",
        "@chrischall/flightaware-mcp"
      ],
      "command": "npx"
    }
  }
}

Documentation

View on GitHub

From the project's GitHub README.

flightaware-mcp

MCP server for FlightAware AeroAPI (v4) — live flight tracking and aviation data for Claude. Track flights, read airport boards, look up operators and aircraft, fetch scheduled flights, and manage flight alerts, all over stdio.

Developed and maintained by AI (Claude Code). Use at your own discretion.

Quick start

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "flightaware": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@chrischall/flightaware-mcp"],
      "env": { "AEROAPI_API_KEY": "your-aeroapi-key-here" }
    }
  }
}

Get a key at flightaware.com/aeroapi/portal. The free Personal tier (500 calls/month) is enough to start; AeroAPI bills per query.

Tools

Area	Tools
Flights	`fa_get_flights`, `fa_search_flights`, `fa_search_flights_advanced`, `fa_search_flight_positions`, `fa_count_flights`, `fa_get_flight_track`, `fa_get_flight_position`, `fa_get_flight_route`, `fa_get_flight_map`, `fa_get_flight_history`, `fa_resolve_flight`
Airports	`fa_get_airport`, `fa_get_airport_flights`, `fa_get_airport_flight_counts`, `fa_get_airport_routes`, `fa_list_airports`, `fa_get_nearby_airports`, `fa_get_airport_delays`, `fa_get_airport_weather`, `fa_resolve_airport`
Operators / aircraft	`fa_get_operator`, `fa_get_operator_flights`, `fa_list_operators`, `fa_get_aircraft_owner`
Schedules / predictive	`fa_get_scheduled_flights`, `fa_foresight_search` (premium tier)
Alerts	`fa_list_alerts`, `fa_get_alert`, `fa_create_alert`, `fa_update_alert`, `fa_delete_alert`, `fa_get_alerts_endpoint`, `fa_set_alerts_endpoint`
Health	`fa_healthcheck` — is this connector working? Reports whether AEROAPI_API_KEY resolved, whether AeroAPI accepted it, and what to fix. Uses a static-cached lookup, so repeat checks are not re-billed.

Alert mutations are confirm-gated: without confirm: true they return a dry-run preview and make no network call.

Configuration

Var	Required	Purpose
`AEROAPI_API_KEY`	yes	Your AeroAPI key (sent as the `x-apikey` header).
`AEROAPI_OUTPUT_DIR`	no	Default directory for flight-map PNGs (default: cwd).
`AEROAPI_CACHE_TTL`	no	Seconds to cache identical live-data GET responses (default: 15; `0` disables). Cuts AeroAPI per-query billing.
`AEROAPI_STATIC_CACHE_TTL`	no	Longer TTL for reference data — airport/operator info, routes, ownership, canonical lookups (default: 3600; `0` disables).