We take a look at the top 10 aircraft that are tracked on a monthly basis across Flightradar24. Find out more about these incredible aircraft and why they see constant interest.
The Antonov AN-225 was regularly the most tracked aircraft on Flightradar24 prior to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The “Mryia”—Ukrainian for dream—was tragically destroyed in the early days of the war at Hostomel Airport. UR-82060 was the only completed AN-225, but Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has since announced his intentions to complete a second An-225, replacing the destroyed aircraft as a tribute to all Ukrainian pilots killed during the war. While it’s no longer possible to track ‘UR-82060’ we have a number of blog articles that take a closer look at this incredible aircraft.
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The Airbus A380 is the world’s largest commercial airliner. A double-deck, four-engine design that first flew in 2005 it quickly became a flight tracking favorite. It is currently operated by thirteen airlines including Emirates, the world’s largest operator of the A380 with more than 100 in their fleet. Emirates received the final A380-800 ever built on 16 December 2021.
Use A388 in our aircraft filter tool to view all currently airborne Airbus A380s.
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The Airbus Beluga (A300-600ST) and BelugaXL (A330-743L) are dedicated Airbus transport aircraft designed to move major components such as wings and fuselage sections. The fleet typically operates from Toulouse (TLS), Hamburg (XFW), Hawarden (CEG), Nantes (NTE) and Saint Nazaire (SNR).
Use A337 and A3ST in our aircraft filter tool to view all currently airborne Beluga’s.
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Some of the most tracked aircraft on Flightradar24 are in fact, some of the oldest. These aircraft range from single engine prop aircraft to four engine airliners, such as the OB-2158-P Sky Bus Douglas DC-8-73CF which is 52 years old. There are a number of examples of 40+ year old Boeing 737-200s still in operation such as C-GMAI and C-GNLK. Many larger operators are still flying aircraft well over 30 years old, particularly Boeing 757s and Boeing 767s that form the backbone of some airline fleets.
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Test flights and new deliveries are a continual draw for flight trackers around the world. We typically see the most interest when an airline or operator takes delivery of a new type for the first time. We recently went behind the scenes with Scandinavian Airlines as they took delivery of their first Airbus A350.
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The Queen of the Skies, the Boeing 747, is by far one of the most loved aircraft ever built. First flown in 1966 the design has gone through a number of iterations including the ‘Classic’ series consisting of the 747-100, -200, -300, and -SP and the more modern -400 and -8 Intercontinental. The last remaining 747 Classics tend to see a lot of flight tracking interest, including two 747-200Bs operating for Geo Sky, 4L-GEN & 4L-GEO
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The Avro Lancaster is one of the most iconic aircraft in the world and a much loved flight tracking favorite. There are only two airworthy Lancaster’s left, one being PA474 operated by Avro Lancaster B.1 PA474 from the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, the second ‘FM213’ operated by the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. Both aircraft can be seen being displayed regularly.
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The Boeing 777X is the next generation iteration of the Boeing 777 family. Two variants are planned, the 777-8 and 777-9 both powered by GE9X engines. The first flight of the 777-9 took place in January 2020. The launch customer is the German flag carrier, Lufthansa, which has committed to buying 34 777-9s. The aircraft is currently undergoing certification flights.
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The DC-3 holds a special place in many people’s hearts and incredibly, despite being first introduced into service in 1936, there are still a number of DC-3 variants flying. Whilst Flightradar24 doesn’t pick up every DC-3 flight, as many are not equipped with ADS-B capabilities, our data does show that there are currently 184 DC-3s still active. One of the most flown remanufactured and modified DC-3s is the Basler BT-67. A total of 68 have been built since production started in 1990 with one of the most well known operators being Kenn Borek Air who have been known to utilize the BT-67 in both the North and South Pole. Track the Kenn Borek fleet.
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The Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, operate the BAE Hawk T.1. The team conducts air displays and flypasts all over the world but particularly throughout the UK during the months of March to September. Having been based at RAF Scampton since 1983 the team will be moving to RAF Waddington for the 2023 season. The team has a huge fan following and attracts a lot of flight tracking interest, particularly during their transits to air displays.
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Header image Jetphotos.com © Derek Hellmann
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