Flight tracking app Flighty was today updated with a new feature that is designed to provide users with additional information on the reason behind delayed flights.
Flighty is using aviation authority data and machine learning to provide early warnings of delays, and when a delay is official, the reason for the delay. Most delays are due to airspace issues and late aircraft, both of which Flighty will monitor.
The app is able to predict delays "hours in advance," and give information to Flighty users that airlines often decline to share. The result is more control over travel plans.
For example, the airline might delay your flight by 30 minutes ... and then another hour. But with these updates, Flighty 4 can tell you that's likely to be at least a five-hour delay due to an official ground stop at your airport. That gives users more insight to adjust their travel plans on the fly rather than being stuck for hours at the airport.
Flighty tracks late arriving airplanes, Air Traffic Control notices, airport operational issues, weather problems, and even major events that can impact air traffic, such as the Super Bowl.
Information on air space delays is limited to the United States, Canada, and the European Union, though late aircraft, airport issues, and live delay trends are available worldwide.
Other new features in today's update include live airport performance trends, aircraft internal names, fixes for missing tail numbers, and clear in-app updates when flight schedules change.
Flighty is available on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The app is free to download, but the delay features are part of Flighty Pro, which is priced at $4 for one week or $48 for a year. More information on the app can be found on the Flighty website.