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This interactive map shows 24 hours of global airline flights

By
Ben Geier
Ben Geier
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By
Ben Geier
Ben Geier
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 6, 2015, 11:51 AM ET
Chicago's O'Hare Airport Hosts Air Industry's World Route Forum
CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 19: An American Airlines jet prepares to land as a Spirit Airlines jet taxis at O'Hare International Airport on September 19, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. In 2013 67 million passengers passed through O'Hare, another 20 million passed through Chicago's Midway Airport. The two airports combined moved more than 1.4 million tons of air cargo in 2013. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)Photograph by Scott Olson — Getty Images

Have you ever sat aboard your flight across the country and wondered just how many other iron birds were crisscrossing the skies with you? Well now there is an app to show you exactly how many, and it is pretty staggering.

The free web app, produced by Luciad, uses data from FlightRadar24, according to Gizmodo. It shows the arrivals and departures from every airport across the world, providing a stark visual representation of just how much air traffic there is.

You can also refine the data to your liking — for instance, find your favorite airport and see how much traffic goes in and out. I looked first at Chicago O’Hare, one of the world’s biggest airports. The number of flights was immense, with the lights representing planes all blurring together. Then I looked at the airport in Charlottesville, a college town in my home state of Virginia. This airport was, lets just say, less than busy, with just a few planes coming in every few hours.

You can also look at regions of the world — the USA, Europe, etc. Or you can find an airline and see where the majority of their traffic comes from.

About the Author
By Ben Geier
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