The potential use of consumer flight radar apps as a source of empirical data: A study of A320 utilization rates in Europe

Drawing on the results of a study that uses Pinkfroot's Plane Finder HD flight radar app for the iPad to document the utilisation rates of eight A320-200 airframes that were operated by four European airlines during January 2012, the paper assesses the potential for using flight radar apps as a source of empirical data to inform academic research. The paper discusses the potential benefits and drawbacks of using consumer flight radar apps for scholarly research and makes recommendations for how these new sources of flight data might be employed.

► This paper assesses the potential of using flight radar apps for research purposes.
► It reports on an exploratory study of A320 utilisation rates in Europe.
► The findings confirm that aircraft utilisation rates vary by type of airline.