I’ve got a confession to make. Even though my mom thinks that my computer skills are of almost mythical proportions, the truth is far from it. Not that I am completely illiterate. I can work my way around my laptop, I can even program the MCP onboard a Boeing 737. But ask me to code anything, and I will give you a look of confusion, shame, and perhaps a healthy dose of fear.
When I recently joined Flightradar24, a colleague asked me a few days in if I’d had the time to use the Flightradar24 API? “No, I’m not that good with computers”, I sheepishly answered. He shrugged his shoulders and replied “Well, you can always try the MCP and connect it to an AI, like Claude. It’s really simple and it lets you talk to the API in normal language”.
It really didn’t sound that simple to me. So, I accepted the challenge and gave it a go. Long story short, it turns out that he was right—you don’t have to be part of the code wizard community to start utilizing the Flightradar24 API. Actually, it’s as easy as it is addictively fun to talk about aviation with a chatbot. If you’re still not convinced, let me offer you this guide where I’ll walk you through how to get going with my chatbot of choice, Claude, and the Flightradar 24 API.
The Flightradar24 API and MCP
To be able to tap into the Flightradar24 API, and the wealth of data it unlocks, you need an account and a subscription. If you already have a Flightradar24 account, you can use the same credentials to login, otherwise it takes mere seconds to create a new account. Log in to the Flightradar24 API portal, and choose a fitting plan. I suggest you start out small, this will be more than enough to get you airborne. Even better, if you sign up for a plan ahead of May 31st, 2026, you will receive double the amount of monthly credits. Yes, please! If you get really ambitious down the road, you can always upgrade your subscription to be able to pull even more requests through the API.
Downloading Claude
The next step is to select a proper AI Chatbot. In our specific case, by “proper” I mean one that widely supports something called MCP. It’s short for Model Context Protocol and is an open standard that lets AI applications connect to tools and data. In our specific case, by plugging the Flightradar24 MCP server into a compatible AI Chatbot, you simply open up a freeway directly to the inner sanctum of the Flightradar24 data vault.
I digress, back to the chatbot. I chose Claude since it apparently is what all cool kids use these days. Also, it plays very well with the Flightradar24 API and is a great tool overall. To be able to use Claude with the Flightradar24 MCP, you need to subscribe to one of its paid level tiers. Again, in the interest of consumer education, I suggest you pick the cheapest option. It will suffice. Download the desktop version of Claude and install it.
Getting to know Node.js
Next, you need to download and install something called Node.js. It’s a free, open-source, cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment. Don’t worry if reading that sentence felt like walking through a blizzard in a mankini. I also understand about 23% of what I just wrote there. The good news is that it is really easy to get started and once you’ve installed it, there is no need to interact with it again. Assuming your skill level is that of a novice, you opt for the prebuilt Node.js version. This basically is the plug-and-play-option. Download it, follow the guided installation process, and… that’s it.
We now have the basic building blocks in place and all it has taken us so far is a few minutes of our valued time. Even better, we are now on the final stretch. Landing is imminent, etc. For the final step, you need to actually connect Claude to the Flightradar24 API, via the MCP. You can do it!
Configuring the Flightradar24 MCP server
Open Claude and select “settings” from the drop-down menu aptly named “Claude”. Proceed to click “Developer”, followed by the “Edit Config” button. Just like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, you will immediately be whisked away to a far-flung land. In our case this mystical land will be the Claude folder on your computer. If there’s a hick-up in the whole “being-whisked-away”-process, you’ll find the folder in “%APPDATA%\Claude” on Windows or “~/Library/Application Support/Claude” on macOS.
In it, locate a file called “claude_desktop_config.json” and open it. If it’s not there (it wasn’t for me), you can simply create this file yourself.
Open the built-in text editor of whatever operating system you’re on (e.g. Windows, MacOS). On a Mac, that would be TextEdit, if you’re a Windows person, you’d reach for Notepad. But what about Linux, you ask? Ha! Nice try, if you’re using Linux you clearly know your way around computers and already have reached the upper echelons of computer wizardry. Which in turn means that you don’t need this guide (but thanks for reading this far anyway).
The hardest part (that arguably isn't that hard)
Once you have popped open your simple text editor of choice, you need to insert a short string of code. You’ll find it on the Flightradar24 API site, tucked away under the Documentation submenu MCP Server. It looks like this:
See that section that states “your_api_key_here”? That is a secret message from the witty Flightradar24 engineers, reminding you to, well, insert your personal API key right there. Just copy your personal token string from the Key Management section, then insert it between the “”-signs. Save the text file as “claude_desktop_config.json”, making sure that the format of the file also ends up being a json-file. If not, right-click and rename it. cut and paste this entire section into the document.
If Claude is open, make sure to close it entirely. Then launch it again. Click the Search & Tools icon in the query window and see if the Flightradar24 API icon is visible. If it is, you can pat yourself on the back—you’re officially done (and one step closer to being a computer god, at least in the eyes of people who aren’t computer gods)!
Let’s talk with Claude and The Flightradar24 API
Claude is now able to tap into the Flightradar24 API. Go ahead and put it to the test by asking it anything flight tracking related, in plain text. Depending on your question, Claude will call the most fitting so-called endpoint to receive the data needed. I like to think of endpoints as doors into the Flightradar24 data building. Depending on what information you need, Claude will simply knock on the most suitable door (i.e. query different endpoints) to get an answer. The first time you call an endpoint, Claude will ask for permission to do so. If you like to keep tabs on credit usage, you can simply have Claude ask you anytime it will tap into the Flightradar24 API.
To get you started, here are a few questions to try out:
- Show me live flights over central London within bounds 51.60,51.40,-0.30,-0.10.
- How many flights are currently inbound Chicago O’Hare?
- How many flights flew the route SFO-ORD on November 17th, 2025?
- Which was the latest departure from Longyearbyen?’
How credits work with the Flightradar24 API
Lastly, a few words on credit usage. Your subscription contains a set number of credits that gets topped up every month. The number of credits used for questions posed depends on the amount of data returned. Hence, if you ask Claude to compile a detailed list of all flights that took place last month, that will of course be a very data heavy task, compared to simpler queries. You can keep track of your usage by clicking selecting Usage Metrics in the top menu at the Flightradar24 API site.
Perhaps more fittingly, you can also teach Claude how to keep track of your usage, and even tell you how much a query costs. Simply copy and paste the entire section detailing endpoint pricing found under the Credit Overview in a chat, adding the monthly fee of your subscription package and included monthly credits, and Claude will be able to tell you how much any call to the API will cost you. Just remember to enable Claude’s memory under the privacy settings, otherwise you’ll have to repeat this process every time you open a new chat.
Now, which was the last flight to land at the McMurdo base in Antarctica? Well, why won’t you just ask Claude?
