Aviationstack MCP Server

list_routes

Find scheduled routes by airline, departure, and arrival airport, with pagination to page through results. Shows route existence, not live flight status.

Instructions

List scheduled routes, one page at a time, filtered by any combination of airline, departure airport and arrival airport. Each record has airline IATA and ICAO codes, flight number, and departure and arrival airport codes, alongside a pagination block carrying limit, offset and total. This says which routes exist, not whether a flight is operating: use get_flight_status for that. Requires the Basic plan or higher.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`limit`	No	Maximum number of routes to return per page, from 1 to 100.
`offset`	No	Zero-based offset for pagination. Combine with limit and the total in the response to page through results.
`arr_iata`	No	Optional arrival airport IATA code filter.
`dep_iata`	No	Optional departure airport IATA code filter.
`airline_iata`	No	Optional airline IATA code filter.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`result`	Yes

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed2 schema fields changedv1.8.1Sep 19, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / limit / description

Previous value: -"Maximum number of routes to return."New value: +"Maximum number of routes to return per page, from 1 to 100."

changedInput schema / properties / offset / description

Previous value: -"Offset for pagination."New value: +"Zero-based offset for pagination. Combine with limit and the total in the response to page through results."

Changed1 schema field changedv1.7.0Sep 16, 2026
- addedInput schema / properties / limit / maximum
```
Added value: +100
```
Addedv1.6.0May 4, 2026

TDQS

A4.7/5.0

Behavior4/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

With no annotations provided, the description carries the behavioral burden and does so well: it discloses pagination behavior, response shape, filter semantics, and plan requirements. It does not mention sorting or rate limits, but those are minor for a read-only listing operation.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness5/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Three densely informative sentences with no filler. The purpose and key scoping (filters, pagination) are front-loaded, followed by response details and a clear alternative, all in an efficient structure.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

The description is complete for a filtered, paginated list tool: it covers what it returns, how filters and paging work, the key limitation, and the authentication/plan requirement. The rich input schema and output schema handle the remaining details.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so the baseline is 3. The description adds meaningful value beyond the schema by clarifying that filters can be combined in any combination and that results are returned one page at a time with a pagination block.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb ('List'), a clear resource ('scheduled routes'), and the available filters. It also explicitly differentiates itself from get_flight_status by clarifying this describes route existence rather than flight operation.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Provides explicit when-to-use context ('filtered by any combination...') and an explicit alternative for the related case ('use get_flight_status for that'). It also discloses the plan prerequisite, which is important for invocation decisions.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

Deploy Server