BYTETOOLS

adsbdb API

Free aircraft database API with no key: look up any aircraft by registration or Mode-S hex, plus airline and flight route data. CORS enabled. Tested.

No API key requiredCORS enabledHTTPSFree tier

Endpoint tested and returned HTTP 200 on 2026-08-20

What is the adsbdb API?

adsbdb is a free, key-free API for aircraft identification, resolving a registration or Mode-S hex code into aircraft type, manufacturer, owner and country, and looking up airline and flight route information.

Flight tracking APIs like OpenSky give you a Mode-S hex code and position, but not what the aircraft actually is. adsbdb closes that gap: feed it the hex or registration and it returns the type, manufacturer, registered owner and country.

Pairing it with OpenSky is the natural combination — OpenSky tells you something is flying overhead at a given position, adsbdb tells you it is a British Airways A320. Neither needs a key.

Quick facts

Base URL
https://api.adsbdb.com/v0
Authentication
No API key required.
Rate limit
No published hard limit; the maintainer asks for reasonable use.
Pricing
Free and open source.
CORS
Enabled — callable directly from browser JavaScript
Official docs
Read the docs

How to use the adsbdb API

Every request below was executed against the live API on 2026-08-20, and the response shown is the real body it returned — not an illustration.

1. Look up an aircraft by registration

GET https://api.adsbdb.com/v0/aircraft/G-EUUU

curl
curl 'https://api.adsbdb.com/v0/aircraft/G-EUUU'
JavaScript (fetch)
const res = await fetch("https://api.adsbdb.com/v0/aircraft/G-EUUU");
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${res.status}`);
const data = await res.json();
console.log(data);
Python (requests)
import requests

res = requests.get("https://api.adsbdb.com/v0/aircraft/G-EUUU", timeout=20)
res.raise_for_status()
print(res.json())
Response — HTTP 200
{
  "response": {
    "aircraft": {
      "type": "A320 232",
      "icao_type": "A320",
      "manufacturer": "Airbus",
      "mode_s": "405455",
      "registration": "G-EUUU",
      "registered_owner_country_iso_name": "GB",
      "registered_owner_country_name": "United Kingdom",
      "registered_owner_operator_flag_code": "BAW",
      "registered_owner": "British Airways",
      "url_photo": "https://airport-data.com/images/aircraft/001/695/001695324.jpg",
      "url_photo_thumbnail": "https://airport-data.com/images/aircraft/thumbnails/001/695/001695324.jpg"
    }
  }
}

Parameters

ParameterTypeRequiredDescription
aircraft/<identifier>pathOptionalRegistration or Mode-S hex code. aircraft/G-EUUU
callsign/<callsign>pathOptionalFlight route for a callsign. callsign/BAW123
airline/<icao>pathOptionalAirline details by ICAO code. airline/BAW

Response fields

response.aircraft.typestring
Aircraft type, e.g. A320 232.
response.aircraft.icao_typestring
ICAO type designator such as A320.
response.aircraft.manufacturerstring
Who built it.
response.aircraft.mode_sstring
Mode-S transponder hex code — the key that links to ADS-B feeds.
response.aircraft.registrationstring
Tail registration.
response.aircraft.registered_ownerstring
Airline or owner.
response.aircraft.registered_owner_country_namestring
Country of registration.

What you can build with the adsbdb API

  • Identify aircraft seen in an ADS-B feed like OpenSky
  • Build a flight tracker that names the aircraft, not just its position
  • Look up which airline operates a callsign
  • Support aviation enthusiast and plane-spotting tools

Common errors and how to fix them

404

Unknown registration or hex code.

Fix: Registrations include the hyphen for most countries, e.g. G-EUUU. Not every aircraft is in the database.

Response nested under response

Everything sits inside a `response` wrapper.

Fix: Read response.aircraft rather than a top-level field.

Callsign returns no route

Route data depends on community contributions.

Fix: Coverage is better for scheduled airline flights than for general aviation.

adsbdb API — frequently asked questions

Is adsbdb free?

Yes, completely free and open source with no API key.

What is a Mode-S hex code?

The unique 24-bit transponder address broadcast by every aircraft. ADS-B feeds like OpenSky report it, and adsbdb resolves it into the actual aircraft type and owner.

How does this pair with a flight tracker?

OpenSky gives you positions with hex codes; adsbdb turns those hex codes into aircraft identity. Together they make a complete tracker, both without keys.

Is every aircraft covered?

No. Coverage is strong for commercial airliners and weaker for general aviation and military aircraft.

Tools that pair with this API

JSON Formatter

Format, beautify and minify JSON online with 2-space, 4-space or tab indentation. Sort keys alphabetically and catch syntax errors instantly — free and private.

adsbdb is an independent third-party service and is not affiliated with ByteTools or ByteVancer. Details on this page were verified on 2026-08-20; always check the official documentation before relying on this API in production, as terms and limits can change.