Diverted Flight with Extra Records

Hello,

This is my first post, so please pardon if I have not posted this correctly. I did not see any forum rules or posting guidelines listed.

I have a question about flight records for diverted flights using FlightInfoEx in FlightXML version 2. For example, please consider two selections of results for FDX 409: http://flightxml.flightaware.com/json/FlightXML2/FlightInfoEx?ident=FDX409

Example 1:

        { 
            "actualarrivaltime":-1,
            "actualdeparturetime":-1,
            "aircrafttype":"A306",
            "destination":"KMEM",
            "destinationCity":"Memphis, TN",
            "destinationName":"Memphis Intl",
            "diverted":"",
            "estimatedarrivaltime":-1,
            "faFlightID":"FDX409-1582035399-3-0-238",
            "filed_airspeed_kts":332,
            "filed_airspeed_mach":"",
            "filed_altitude":0,
            "filed_departuretime":1582039080,
            "filed_ete":"02:45:00",
            "filed_time":1582035394,
            "ident":"FDX409",
            "origin":"KBDL",
            "originCity":"Windsor Locks, CT",
            "originName":"Bradley Intl",
            "route":""
        },
        { 
            "actualarrivaltime":-1,
            "actualdeparturetime":-1,
            "aircrafttype":"A306",
            "destination":"KMEM",
            "destinationCity":"Memphis, TN",
            "destinationName":"Memphis Intl",
            "diverted":"t",
            "estimatedarrivaltime":-1,
            "faFlightID":"FDX409-1581950392-8-0-181",
            "filed_airspeed_kts":457,
            "filed_airspeed_mach":"",
            "filed_altitude":360,
            "filed_departuretime":1582031700,
            "filed_ete":"02:06:00",
            "filed_time":1582031883,
            "ident":"FDX409",
            "origin":"KORF",
            "originCity":"Norfolk, VA",
            "originName":"Norfolk Intl",
            "route":"COUPN RDU SPA J118 GQO TALLO VANZE2"
        },
        { 
            "actualarrivaltime":1582037547,
            "actualdeparturetime":1582031915,
            "aircrafttype":"A306",
            "destination":"KBDL",
            "destinationCity":"Windsor Locks, CT",
            "destinationName":"Bradley Intl",
            "diverted":"",
            "estimatedarrivaltime":1582037547,
            "faFlightID":"FDX409-1581950392-8-0-181",
            "filed_airspeed_kts":457,
            "filed_airspeed_mach":"",
            "filed_altitude":360,
            "filed_departuretime":1582031700,
            "filed_ete":"02:06:00",
            "filed_time":1582031883,
            "ident":"FDX409",
            "origin":"KORF",
            "originCity":"Norfolk, VA",
            "originName":"Norfolk Intl",
            "route":"COUPN RDU SPA J118 GQO TALLO VANZE2"
        },

Example 2:

        { 
            "actualarrivaltime":-1,
            "actualdeparturetime":-1,
            "aircrafttype":"A306",
            "destination":"KMEM",
            "destinationCity":"Memphis, TN",
            "destinationName":"Memphis Intl",
            "diverted":"",
            "estimatedarrivaltime":-1,
            "faFlightID":"FDX409-1581447180-9-4-181",
            "filed_airspeed_kts":352,
            "filed_airspeed_mach":"",
            "filed_altitude":0,
            "filed_departuretime":1581480600,
            "filed_ete":"01:20:00",
            "filed_time":1581447175,
            "ident":"FDX409",
            "origin":"KOMA",
            "originCity":"Omaha, NE",
            "originName":"Eppley Airfield",
            "route":""
        },
        { 
            "actualarrivaltime":-1,
            "actualdeparturetime":-1,
            "aircrafttype":"A306",
            "destination":"KMEM",
            "destinationCity":"Memphis, TN",
            "destinationName":"Memphis Intl",
            "diverted":"",
            "estimatedarrivaltime":-1,
            "faFlightID":"FDX409-1581447572-2-1-181",
            "filed_airspeed_kts":352,
            "filed_airspeed_mach":"",
            "filed_altitude":0,
            "filed_departuretime":1581448140,
            "filed_ete":"01:20:00",
            "filed_time":1581447570,
            "ident":"FDX409",
            "origin":"KOMA",
            "originCity":"Omaha, NE",
            "originName":"Eppley Airfield",
            "route":""
        },
        { 
            "actualarrivaltime":1581440219,
            "actualdeparturetime":1581428884,
            "aircrafttype":"A306",
            "destination":"KOMA",
            "destinationCity":"Omaha, NE",
            "destinationName":"Eppley Airfield",
            "diverted":"",
            "estimatedarrivaltime":1581440219,
            "faFlightID":"FDX409-1581344803-0-13-181",
            "filed_airspeed_kts":460,
            "filed_airspeed_mach":"",
            "filed_altitude":360,
            "filed_departuretime":1581426900,
            "filed_ete":"02:04:00",
            "filed_time":1581428965,
            "ident":"FDX409",
            "origin":"KORF",
            "originCity":"Norfolk, VA",
            "originName":"Norfolk Intl",
            "route":"COUPN RDU SPA J118 GQO TALLO VANZE2"
        },
        { 
            "actualarrivaltime":-1,
            "actualdeparturetime":-1,
            "aircrafttype":"A306",
            "destination":"KMEM",
            "destinationCity":"Memphis, TN",
            "destinationName":"Memphis Intl",
            "diverted":"t",
            "estimatedarrivaltime":-1,
            "faFlightID":"FDX409-1581344803-0-13-181",
            "filed_airspeed_kts":460,
            "filed_airspeed_mach":"",
            "filed_altitude":360,
            "filed_departuretime":1581426900,
            "filed_ete":"02:04:00",
            "filed_time":1581428965,
            "ident":"FDX409",
            "origin":"KORF",
            "originCity":"Norfolk, VA",
            "originName":"Norfolk Intl",
            "route":"COUPN RDU SPA J118 GQO TALLO VANZE2"
        },

In both instances, I understand the latter two entries. Reading from bottom to top in each example, the first is the diversion information for the flight, and is so indicated by {“diverted”: “t”}, and the second is the original flight entry. You can associate these two based on the shared faFlightID or shared filed_departuretime.

My question is about the other entries – the topmost in the first example, and the top two in the second example. They each have their own, distinct faFlightID values, and are described as going from the diversion airport to the original destination. However, none of these three flights records show up when searching for FDX 407 on the main website, and if you try to look them up by id, they all return as unknown flights:

/live/flight/id/FDX409-1582035399-3-0-238
/live/flight/id/FDX409-1581447180-9-4-181
/live/flight/id/FDX409-1581447572-2-1-181

Looking up those actual routes (diversion airport to original destination) finds FedEx flights, but with differing flight numbers.

Can someone explain to me what these three records signify, and how my script should interpret them? My understanding from another post is that actualarrivaltime, actualdeparturetime, and estimatedarrivaltime all being set to -1 means it is a cancelled flight, but these flights seem not to have existed to begin with – and don’t show up as cancelled flights on the main website, as noted earlier.

Thank you for your assistance.

Steven

It looks like records FDX409-1581447180-9-4-181 and FDX409-1581447572-2-1-181 were the results of new filings as anticipated make-up legs after the diversion of FDX409-1581344803-0-13-181. However, these plans weren’t actually operated and were eventually handled as cancelled.

The site will generally display cancellations for commercial passenger carriers that have public advanced schedules. In cases where there aren’t public advanced schedules, like cargo carriers, they will generally be handled as not operated and suppressed rather than a cancellation entry. This is a display decision.