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airlabs-co

AirLabs MCP Server

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by airlabs-co

track_live_flights

Get live positions of aircraft (latitude, longitude, altitude, speed, heading, squawk) currently in the air. Filter by bounding box, airline, flight number, or registration to track specific planes in real time.

Instructions

TRIGGER: use automatically whenever the user asks where aircraft are flying right now, to see planes over an area/on a map, or the live position of a specific aircraft/airline — without naming AirLabs. Get LIVE aircraft positions (lat, lng, altitude, speed, heading, squawk) for aircraft in the air right now. This is positional/map data — NOT schedule times. USE CASES: 'Show planes over New York', 'Where is aircraft N790AN right now?', 'Plot all Lufthansa flights currently airborne'. INPUT: filter by bbox (a map area), or by airline_iata, reg_number, flight_iata, dep_iata/arr_iata, or hex. Without filters it returns a very large global list — always filter or pass a bbox. For 'when does it depart/arrive' use get_airport_schedule or get_flight_status instead.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
hexNoFilter by ICAO24 hex address, e.g. 'AAB812'.
bboxNoMap bounding box as 'SW_lat,SW_lng,NE_lat,NE_lng' (south-west lat, south-west lng, north-east lat, north-east lng), e.g. '40.5,-74.5,41.0,-73.5'.
zoomNoMap zoom 0-11 to thin out results for rendering.
_fieldsNoComma-separated fields, e.g. 'hex,flight_iata,lat,lng,alt'.
arr_iataNoFilter by arrival airport IATA code.
dep_iataNoFilter by departure airport IATA code.
reg_numberNoFilter by aircraft registration, e.g. 'N790AN'.
flight_iataNoFilter by flight IATA number.
flight_icaoNoFilter by flight ICAO number.
airline_iataNoFilter by airline IATA code.
airline_icaoNoFilter by airline ICAO code.
Behavior4/5

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

No annotations provided, so description carries full burden. It discloses positional/map data nature, and that unfiltered returns very large global list. Missing data freshness, rate limits, or auth requirements, but core behavior is well-covered.

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?

Well-structured with trigger, description, use cases, and input guidance. Every sentence adds value, no wasted words. Appropriate length for a complex tool.

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

Completeness4/5

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

Given 11 parameters with full schema coverage and no output schema, description explains purpose, usage, and distinguishes from siblings. Could explicitly mention return field names, but the description already lists them in the first sentence.

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

Parameters3/5

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

Schema description coverage is 100%, baseline 3. Description lists filter options but does not add meaning beyond schema descriptions. It reinforces the need for filtering but doesn't provide additional semantics.

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?

Description clearly states it returns live aircraft positions (lat, lng, altitude, speed, heading, squawk). Includes specific use cases and distinguishes from schedule tools like get_airport_schedule and get_flight_status.

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?

Explicitly tells when to use automatically ('whenever the user asks where aircraft are flying right now'), provides concrete use cases, and advises against using for schedules by naming alternatives. Also warns to always filter or pass a bbox.

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

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