We have just recently introduced a new feature to FlightXML2 that allows our servers to initiate a HTTP connection back to your own server whenever a flight event occurs. This will make it much easier for applications to monitor activity relating to their flights without having to constantly poll a FlightXML method to get the current status.
There are 4 new methods that are used to support this functionality:
The RegisterAlertEndpoint method should be called first to let FlightAware know the URL of your server. When an alert later occurs, our servers will make a HTTP POST back to that URL with a body containing a JSON blob that resembles this:
{
"long_desc": "DAL116 arrived at KATL (Hartsfield-Jackson Intl) at 04:11PM EST from KTPA (Tampa Intl)",
"short_desc": "DAL116 arrived at KATL from KTPA",
"summary": "DAL116 arrived at KATL from KTPA",
"eventcode": "arrival",
"alert_id": 123456,
"flight": {
"ident": "DAL116",
"aircrafttype": "B752",
"origin": "KTPA",
"destination": "KATL",
"filed_ete": "01:15:00",
"route": "ENDED4 CTY HONIE8",
"faFlightID": "DAL116-1318311885-airline-0362",
"filed_altitude": 360,
"filed_airspeed_kts": 465,
"filed_time": 1318532269,
"filed_departuretime": 1318531500,
"estimatedarrivaltime": 1318536216,
"actualarrivaltime": 1318536660,
"actualdeparturetime": 1318532220
}
}
Although we currently only support the above JSON format for the pushed alerts, we’ve made our system flexible enough to allow new formats to be added in the future if there is any interest (maybe XML, WS-Eventing, or others).
Each alert that is triggered is charged at the rate of one “class 2” FlightXML query each time it occurs.
You can use the SetAlert method to let you configure what types of alerts you want to receive. For example, you can track individual idents, all flights with a specified origin or destination, or flights involving a specific aircrafttype. You can specify whether you want to receive any or all of these types of events: filed, departure, arrival, diverted, cancelled.
Feel free to post any questions you have about this new functionality.