PRIVACY NOTICE
Thank you for visiting https://www.flightaware.com. FlightAware LLC is responsible for this website, including its mobile versions (the "Website"). FlightAware LLC and its affiliates (collectively, "FlightAware") are a part of Collins Aerospace, an operating unit of RTX Corporation ("RTX") (https://www.rtx.com). We are committed to respecting the privacy of our members and visitors.
DEFINITIONS
"Data Protection Laws" means laws relating to data protection and/or privacy, including all such laws governing use of Personal Information.
"Personal Information" is any information relating to an identified or identifiable individual. With respect to your account, we may collect information during registration for a product or service that we provide or the purchase of a product or service, including names, e-mail addresses, e-mail preferences, account passwords, mailing addresses, and billing addresses.
WHAT DOES THIS PRIVACY NOTICE COVER?
This Privacy Notice describes our practices related to Personal Information collected through this Website, unless there is a separate privacy notice for a particular website, mobile version, or other item within our Website. Individual websites for FlightAware affiliates, services or products may adopt different privacy notices because the transactions taking place on those websites may be different. If those websites have their own privacy notice, the provisions of that notice apply to that website.
Our provision of links to other websites or locations is for your convenience and does not signify our endorsement of such other websites or locations or their contents. We have no control over, do not review, and cannot be responsible for these outside websites or their content. Please be aware that this Privacy Notice does not apply to those outside websites.
This Privacy Notice applies through your use of our products or services, which are governed by United States law and applicable Data Protection Laws of other jurisdictions, Terms of Use and Terms and Conditions. This Privacy Notice applies regardless of the means used to access or provide information through the products or services. If you do not agree with this Privacy Notice, do not access or use our products or services or interact with any other aspect of our business.
BINDING CORPORATE RULES
Through RTX, FlightAware has adopted Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs) as a mechanism to authorize the sharing of Personal Information between its businesses inside the European Union (EU) and its businesses located in other regions of the world. To read RTX’s Binding Corporate Rules, click here to select the version in the language of your choosing.
WHAT PERSONAL INFORMATION DOES FLIGHTAWARE COLLECT?
- Information that you choose to provide to us:
- We collect information about you when you input your Personal Information into the products or services we provide or otherwise provide it directly to us. For example, when you register for an account, create or modify your profile, set preferences, sign-up for or make purchases, we collect your name and contact information.
- When you contact us to make an inquiry, provide feedback, or for any other reason, we will collect the information that you choose to provide. We may also need to ask you for additional information to be able to respond to you or provide you with the information or service you have requested.
- Other Personal Information collected directly from you includes:
- Preference Information: Depending on the products and services you use, we may collect information about your flying choices, such as the type of aircraft and departure and arrival locations that you select.
- Content you provide through our products: You may provide content through our products, such as "Squawk" posts, comments on "Squawks," discussion forum posts, photos, or comments on photos. The content includes any information about you that you may choose to include. Content also includes the files and links you upload.
- Preference Information: You may choose to submit information regarding a problem you are experiencing or questions about our services.
- Preference Information: We collect payment and associated billing information when you register for paid products or services through trusted, Payment Card Industry ("PCI") compliant, third-party service providers.
- Preference Information: We keep track of certain information about you when you visit and interact with any of our products and services. This information includes what features you use.
- Preference Information: We collect information about the device(s) that you use to access our products and services. We also collect information through your device about your operating system, browser type, IP address, URLs of referring/exit pages, device identifiers, and crash data. We use your IP address and/or country preference to approximate your location to provide you with a better experience. How much of this information we collect depends on the type and settings of the device you use to access the products and services.
- Preference Information: We collect information about you when you use our products or services, including browsing our websites and taking certain actions within the products or services.
- Information we receive from other sources:
- Mobile Provider: Your mobile provider may have a conflicting privacy position that captures Personal Information when you visit our website using your mobile device. FlightAware is not responsible for and does not control how other parties may collect your information when you access our website(s) through mobile devices.
- Third-Party Sources: We may receive Personal Information about you from other third-party sources, including from other service users, our service providers, analytics providers, and our business partners. We may also receive data from third party services and from our business and channel partners. Other users of our products and services may provide information about you when they submit content through the products and services. For example, you may be mentioned by someone else on a "Squawk" comment or discussion forum post. Such information may include demographic information, itinerary details, dietary preferences, browsing preferences, language preferences, and other personal preferences. We may associate this information with the other Personal Information we have collected about you.
If you choose not to provide any of the Personal Information requested, in certain cases, FlightAware may be unable to complete the transaction you have requested.
HOW DOES FLIGHTAWARE USE THE PERSONAL INFORMATION IT COLLECTS?
We may use your Personal Information for the following purposes, as well as for any other purpose to which you consent or is required by law:
- To conduct basic business operations, such as to communicate with you and for business planning.
- To enter into, or perform under, an agreement to provide products or services you have requested and personalize your experience.
- We use your contact information to send transactional communications via e-mail and within our products or services, including confirming your purchases, reminding you of subscription expirations, responding to your comments, questions and requests, providing customer support, and sending you technical notices, updates, security alerts, and administrative messages.
- We may also use your information in keeping records of our relationship designed to facilitate timely and accurate invoicing and to administer our billing and accounting systems, and to answer billing, account, or technical inquiries from you.
- Depending on your settings, we may send you e-mail notifications of certain products, services, and events. For example, your settings may enable flight tracking event notifications to the extent that you have requested such communications and with the opportunity to opt-out.
- To improve our products and services, and our website.
- To verify your identity, to the extent necessary, and to ensure security for one of the other purposes listed herein.
- To respond to a legitimate legal request from law enforcement authorities or other government regulators.
- To protect our legitimate business interests and legal rights: Where required by law or where we believe it is necessary to protect our legal rights, interests and the interests of others, we use information about you in connection with legal claims, compliance, regulatory, investigations of suspected or actual illegal activity, and audit functions, and disclosures in connection with the acquisition, merger or sale of a business; as well as where necessary or appropriate to endeavor to protect our business partners’ rights, property, or safety, and the rights, property, and safety of our customers, users, and other third parties.
- For Anonymized Analytics: We may also use your Personal Information to create anonymous information by removing information that makes the information personally identifiable to you (such as your name or email address). We may use these records, and other anonymous information, to analyze usage patterns to enhance our products and services.
- For relevant advertisements: We may use your information to deliver content and display ads in the manner as described in the section How Does FlightAware Use Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies?
Information that individuals submit to express interest in, or be considered for, an employment opportunity with FlightAware is covered by the applicable Job Applicant Privacy Notice.
WHERE AND HOW DOES FLIGHTAWARE STORE AND SECURE YOUR INFORMATION?
Because we are a global company, we may transfer your information from one legal entity to another or from one country to another to accomplish the purposes listed herein. Your Personal Information may be processed in countries (including the United States) where Data Protection Laws may be different or less stringent than in your home jurisdiction.
FlightAware relies on available legal mechanisms to enable the legal transfer of Personal Information across borders and ensure an adequate level of protection, as required by law. To the extent that FlightAware relies on the standard contractual clauses (also called the model clauses) or Binding Corporate Rules to authorize transfer, FlightAware will comply with those requirements, including where there may be a conflict between those requirements and this Privacy Notice.
We use data hosting service providers to host the information we collect. FlightAware has implemented technical, administrative and physical measures to safeguard any Personal Information that we may collect.
To prevent unauthorized or unlawful processing of Personal Information and to prevent accidental alteration, unauthorized disclosure or access, loss or destruction of, or damage to Personal Information, we implement appropriate security measures taking into account the sensitivity and risks of the processing concerned, the nature of the Personal Information concerned and applicable corporate policies. We implement policies to address data incidents that address the appropriate response to and remediation of any actual data incidents.
DOES FLIGHTAWARE SHARE THE INFORMATION IT COLLECTS WITH ANY THIRD PARTIES?
We share Personal Information with our trusted third parties, on an as-needed basis, to help us operate, provide, improve, integrate, customize, support and market our products and services, or for other business purposes consistent with applicable law. Such third parties and purposes include:
- RTX Group: FlightAware may share your Personal Information with our subsidiaries and affiliated companies or prospective affiliates companies (the "RTX Group"). When FlightAware transfers your Personal Information within the RTX Group, it will do so consistent with this Privacy Notice, applicable law, and RTX’s Binding Corporate Rules, which are available above in many languages.
- Business Transfers: We may share or transfer information we collect under this Privacy Notice in connection with any merger, sale of company assets, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of the FlightAware businesses to another company. You will be notified via e-mail and/or a prominent notice on our products if a transaction takes place, as well as any choices you may have regarding your information.
- Sharing with other users: To the extent you engage with our FlightAware community through your submission of "Squawk" posts, photos, or discussion forum posts, which may contain information about you, we share that information with other product users.
- Links to Third-Party Sites: Our products and services may include links that direct you to other web sites or services whose privacy practices may differ from ours. Your use of and any information you submit to any of those third-party sites is governed by their privacy policies, not this one.
- Third-Party Widgets: Some of our products and services contain widgets and social media features, such as the X (formerly 'Twitter') "tweet" button. These widgets and features may collect your IP address, which page you are visiting, and/or set a cookie to enable the feature to function properly. Your interactions with these features are governed by the privacy policy of the company providing the underlying service.
- Compliance with Enforcement Requests and Applicable Laws; Enforcement of Our Rights: In certain circumstances, we may share information about you with a third party if we believe that sharing is reasonably necessary to (a) comply with any applicable law, regulation, legal process or governmental request, including to meet national security requirements, (b) enforce our agreements, policies and Terms of Use, (c) protect the security or integrity of our products and services, (d) protect FlightAware, our customers or the public from harm or illegal activities, or (e) respond to an emergency which we believe in good faith requires us to disclose information to assist in preventing the death or serious bodily injury of any person.
- Third Party Content and Ads: If you register for a product or service that we provide, we may enable certain third parties to deliver content and ads on our website. These third parties may collect (via tracking technologies like cookies or web beacons as described in the section How does FlightAware Use Cookies or Other Tracking Technologies?) and use information regarding your interaction with the content or ads that they deliver and with which you interact.
-
Delivery of Goods and Services: FlightAware may provide access to or share Personal Information on an as-needed basis with third parties, such as trusted service providers, consultants and contractors who are granted access to FlightAware facilities or systems, and with government agencies and others as required by law. FlightAware will only share your information to:
- allow service providers to perform services on our behalf. In those cases, FlightAware will only share the information with service providers for the purposes outlined above. The categories of service providers with which FlightAware may share your Personal Information include (and only where applicable): companies that may provide you with requested information (such as a public filing); outsourced digital technology providers; and service providers offering software as a service. These service providers are contractually restricted from using or disclosing the information except when it is necessary to perform services on our behalf or to comply with legal requirements;
- comply with legal obligations, including but not limited, to complying with tax and regulatory obligations, sharing data with labor/trade unions and works councils, and responding to a court proceeding or a legitimate legal request from law enforcement authorities or other government regulators;
- investigate suspected or actual policy, ethics, or compliance violations or illegal activity;
- prevent physical harm and protect human safety; or
- support the sale or transfer of all or a portion of our business or assets, including through bankruptcy.
- Authorized Agents: Additionally, we may share information about you with agents acting on behalf of FlightAware, such as our authorized FlightAware dealers or distributors, or companies hired to perform installation, maintenance, warranty work, or billing functions; any person who, in the reasonable judgment of FlightAware, is acting as an agent of a customer; other aviation service providers in order to provide efficient and effective aviation services (e.g., to arrange for efficient aircraft servicing and for passenger or crew related services at a fixed-base operator, including fueling, catering, ground transportation hotel services, and the like); companies providing services to aircraft, including the manufacturer, installation and repair centers (e.g., MRO facilities), and trip planners; shipping or other delivery companies in order to deliver our products or Services.
Your Personal Information may also be maintained and processed by our service providers in countries other than the one in which it was collected, such as the United States, member states of the European Union, Canada and other jurisdictions.
HOW LONG DOES FLIGHTAWARE RETAIN YOUR INFORMATION?
How long we keep information we collect about you depends on the type of information, as described in further detail below. After such time, we will either delete or anonymize your information or, if this is not possible (for example, because the information has been stored in backup archives), then we will securely store your information and isolate it from any further use until deletion is possible or occurs in the ordinary course of business.
Unless otherwise required by law or to the extent we reasonably deem necessary to protect our rights, property, or safety, and the rights, property, and safety of our users, we will delete Personal Information when: (1) it is no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which it was collected or otherwise processed; (2) upon your request or when you withdraw your consent (where lawfulness of processing was based on your consent) and there is no other legal ground for the processing; (3) when you object to the processing and there are no overriding legitimate grounds for the processing; and (4) when it is necessary to comply with legal obligations.
HOW DOES FLIGHTAWARE USE COOKIES OR OTHER TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES?
- Information collected through our website analytics: FlightAware monitors user traffic patterns throughout the website including a user’s internet protocol (IP) address, username, browser type, date and time of access, and pages viewed. This information is collected, on aggregate basis, in order to measure the number of visitors to our website and to determine which areas users find useful based upon the traffic to particular areas. FlightAware uses this information to enhance visitors’ experience and to better prepare future content based on the interests of visitors. We also use this information to identify and respond to abusive or malicious activity.
-
Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies: FlightAware and our third-party partners, such as our advertising and analytics partners (hereinafter "Partners"), use cookies and other tracking technologies (e.g., web beacons, device identifiers and pixels) to provide functionality and to recognize you across different products and devices.
- Like most web sites, we use small bits of data called cookies stored on users' computers to simulate a continuous connection. Cookies let us remember information about your preferences and allow you to effectively utilize our products and services. Web browsers let you easily see and control cookies.
- FlightAware and its Partners may also use cookies to determine which advertisements users have seen and how users responded to them. Similarly, FlightAware and its Partners may use small pieces of code called "web beacons" or "clear gifs" to collect anonymous advertising metrics and to deliver cookies related to such advertisements.
- Cookies, web beacons and similar tools allow us and our Partners to identify your device, track your interactions with other websites, and track activity over time and across websites by storing information locally on your device. We use both session cookies (which expire once you close your web browser) and persistent cookies (which stay on your computer or device until you delete them). When you use a service provided by us, we may include web beacons with the content and ads that we deliver to you as a part of that service, which we use to collect information regarding your interaction with such content and ads.
- The information that these tracking technologies collect include your internet protocol (IP) address, unique device identification information, regional and language settings, browser type, operating system, network used to access our website, and information about your use of our website (such as how you navigate and move around the website). FlightAware and its Partners ability to collect and use the foregoing data is subject at all times to Data Protection Laws.
-
Your Choices:
-
Upon your initial visit to our website, you will be presented with choices in managing your cookies settings associated with our website. These choices will impact the ability of FlightAware and its Partners in data collection for use in advertising endeavors. While the cookies banner may not re-appear each subsequent time you re-visit our website, you will always be able to change or manage your settings through the controls presented on the opening website page.
To manager your choices refer to How Can You Access, Modify, Rectify, and Correct Your Collected Information? section below.
WHAT ARE YOUR CHOICES REGARDING YOUR INFORMATION?
You have a variety of legal rights regarding the collection and processing of your Personal Information. You may exercise these rights, to the extent they apply to you under applicable Data Protection Laws, by contacting us as provided in the section How Can You Contact FlightAware? These rights vary depending on applicable Data Protection Laws, but may include:
- The right to know whether, and for what purposes, we process Personal Information about you;
- The right to be informed about the Personal Information we collect and/or process about you;
- The right to learn the source of Personal Information about you that we process, and whether we obtain that Personal Information from a source other than you.
- The right to access, modify, and correct Personal Information about you (as set forth in more detail below under the section How Can You Access, Modify, Rectify, and Correct Your Collected Information?)
- The right to know with whom we have shared Personal Information about you, for what purpose, and what Personal Information has been shared;
- The right to opt-out of our communications to you using "unsubscribe features" or via the account preference setting in your profile or via "unsubscribe" links in specific e-mails;
- Where processing of Personal Information about you is based on consent, the right to withdraw your consent to such processing; and
- The right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.
You may request deletion of your account or Personal Information by us, but please note that we may be required (by law or otherwise) to keep this information and not delete it (or to keep this information for a certain time), in which case we will comply with your deletion request only after we have fulfilled such requirements.
To exercise any of your rights, please contact us using the options listed in the section How Can You Contact FlightAware? Note, however, that we may request certain reasonable, additional information (that may include Personal Information) to help us authenticate your request and/or to clarify or understand the scope of such requests.
HOW CAN YOU ACCESS, MODIFY, RECTIFY, AND CORRECT YOUR COLLECTED INFORMATION?
We strive to maintain the accuracy of any Personal Information collected from you and will use commercially reasonable efforts to respond promptly to update our records when you tell us your information is not accurate. However, we must rely on you to ensure that the information you provide to us is complete, accurate, up-to-date, and to inform us of any changes. Please review all of your information carefully before submitting it to us, and notify us as soon as possible of any updates or corrections as outlined in the section How Can You Contact FlightAware? If you wish to access, review, or make any changes to Personal Information we hold about you, you may contact us as provided below in the section How Can You Contact FlightAware?, or—for certain information—through your account on the products and services.
You may manage your online activities via Cookie Settings (provided at the footer of our Website). We currently comply with web browser’s "do not track" signals or similar mechanisms.
You can learn how to manage/delete cookies and adjust your settings through your own independent means. For example, refer to the links below to various industry help pages.
- https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows/delete-and-manage-cookies-168dab11-0753-043d-7c16-ede5947fc64d
- https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647
- https://help.apple.com/safari/mac/8.0/en.lproj/sfri11471.html
- https://adssettings.google.com/whythisad
WHAT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SHOULD SPECIFIC USERS KNOW?
Parents, guardians and children: This website is intended for visitors who are at least 16 years of age and the minimum age for legal consent in their jurisdiction of residence. FlightAware does not knowingly solicit information from, or market products or services to, children. If you do not meet the age requirements set out above, please do not enter your Personal Information on this or any other FlightAware website.
Residents of California:
California Shine the Light Law: California residents may annually request and obtain information that is shared with other businesses for their own direct marketing use within the prior calendar year.
California Consumer Privacy Act: California residents have the right to
- request details about the Personal Information that we have about you, including the categories of information, the purpose for which we use it, with whom we share it, and specific information about what Personal Information we have about you;
- request that your data be deleted; and
- direct a company not to sell your data, but, since FlightAware does not sell Personal Information, this does not apply.
If you are a California resident not covered by the exclusions mentioned above and you would like to exercise your rights, you should contact us either by calling 1-833-882-0003 or emailing us at [email protected]. Please provide your name, a way for FlightAware to contact you (such as an email address or telephone number) so that we can respond to your request, information about the nature of your relationship with us (for example, are you a visitor to our website or a customer), and details about the action that you would like us to take. Based on your request, we will investigate to determine if we have any of your Personal Information. If we do have your Personal Information (other than that provided in your request), we will seek to verify your identity based on the Personal Information that we already have; the data we will request will depend on the nature of the Personal Information we have about you. Once we verify your identity, we will provide you with a response, indicating how we will satisfy your request or why we cannot comply with your request.
Residents of the European Union and other countries with privacy laws: You have the right to lodge a complaint with your national or state supervisory authority. You also have the right to request access to and correction or erasure of your Personal Information, seek restrictions on or object to the processing of certain Personal Information, and seek data portability under certain circumstances. To contact FlightAware about a request to access, correct, erase, object or seek restrictions or portability, please use the contact methods indicated at the end of this notice.
Residents of the United States: FlightAware does not collect Social Security Numbers through www.flightaware.com.
Residents of Australia: Each RTX entity in Australia is an "APP entity" regulated by the provisions of the Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth of Australia) ("Australian Privacy Act"). References in this notice to RTX also relate to Australian subsidiaries in relation to all acts and practices of any of them in collection, handling, and disclosure of Personal Information about individuals in Australia. Where an Australian subsidiary discloses Personal Information about residents of Australia to an overseas recipient for any of the reasons described in this notice, it will take reasonable steps to ensure that the overseas recipient does not breach the Australian Privacy Act in relation to that information. Residents of Australia may e-mail [email protected] to access, correct or update your Personal Information, if you have questions about RTX’ privacy practices in general, or if you wish to make a complaint. If we take more than 30 days to respond or if you are dissatisfied with the outcome, you can make a complaint to the Privacy Commission in the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner by post at GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001, by telephone at 1300 363 992, or by email at [email protected].
WHAT ABOUT THE PRIVACY ISSUES WITH TRACKING PRIVATE AIRCRAFT?
Please see the privacy section of our FAQ.
HOW MIGHT FLIGHTAWARE CHANGE THIS POLICY?
This Privacy Notice replaces all previous disclosures we may have provided to you about our information practices with respect to our products and services. To accommodate changes in our business, products, services, technology, and legal developments, we may add, change, or remove portions of this Privacy Notice as we feel it is appropriate to do so. Updated notices and disclosures will be posted to our website. We encourage you to review this Privacy Notice on a regular basis for any changes. The date of the latest version will be identified at the top of the Privacy Notice.
HOW CAN YOU CONTACT FLIGHTAWARE?
For any comments, questions, or suggestions about the use of your Personal Information or our privacy practices please email [email protected]. If you would like to contact the local Data Protection Officer for your country (to the extent applicable), please note that in your email, and your inquiry will be directed to the appropriate RTX person.
For information related to accessing correcting, deleting, or updating your FlightAware account, please email [email protected].
We will respond to your request or investigate your concern as quickly as possible.
Last Updated: December 19, 2023