Real-Time Flight Tracking with Aviation API, Slack & SendGrid/Twilio Alerts

This automated n8n workflow continuously monitors airline schedule changes by fetching real-time flight data, comparing it with stored schedules, and instantly notifying both internal teams and affected passengers through multiple communication channels. The system ensures stakeholders are immediately informed of any flight delays, cancellations, gate changes, or other critical updates.

Good to Know

Flight data accuracy depends on the aviation API provider's update frequency and reliability Critical notifications (cancellations, major delays) trigger immediate passenger alerts via SMS and email Internal Slack notifications keep operations teams informed in real-time Database logging maintains a complete audit trail of all schedule changes The system processes only confirmed schedule changes to avoid false notifications Passenger notifications are sent only to those with confirmed tickets for affected flights

How It Works

Schedule Trigger - Automatically runs every 30 minutes to check for flight schedule updates Fetch Airline Data - Retrieves current flight information from aviation APIs Get Current Schedules - Pulls existing schedule data from the internal database Process Changes - Compares API data with database records to identify schedule changes Check for Changes - Determines if any updates require processing and notifications Update Database - Saves schedule changes to the internal flight database Notify Slack Channel - Sends operational updates to the flight operations team Check Urgent Notifications - Identifies critical changes requiring immediate passenger alerts Get Affected Passengers - Retrieves contact information for passengers on changed flights Send Email Notifications - Dispatches detailed schedule change emails via SendGrid Send SMS (Critical Only) - Sends urgent text alerts for cancellations and major delays Update Internal Systems - Syncs changes with other airline systems via webhooks Log Sync Activity - Records all synchronization activities for audit and monitoring

Data Sources

The workflow integrates with multiple data sources and systems:

Aviation API (Primary Data Source) Real-time flight status and schedule data Departure/arrival times, gates, terminals Flight status (on-time, delayed, cancelled, diverted) Aircraft and route information

Internal Flight Database flight_schedules table - Current schedule data with columns: flight_number (text) - Flight identifier (e.g., "AA123") departure_time (timestamp) - Scheduled departure time arrival_time (timestamp) - Scheduled arrival time status (text) - Flight status (active, delayed, cancelled, diverted) gate (text) - Departure gate number terminal (text) - Terminal identifier airline_code (text) - Airline IATA code origin_airport (text) - Departure airport code destination_airport (text) - Arrival airport code aircraft_type (text) - Aircraft model updated_at (timestamp) - Last update timestamp created_at (timestamp) - Record creation timestamp

passengers table - Passenger contact information with columns: passenger_id (integer) - Unique passenger identifier name (text) - Full passenger name email (text) - Email address for notifications phone (text) - Mobile phone number for SMS alerts notification_preferences (json) - Communication preferences created_at (timestamp) - Registration timestamp updated_at (timestamp) - Last profile update

tickets table - Booking and ticket status with columns: ticket_id (integer) - Unique ticket identifier passenger_id (integer) - Foreign key to passengers table flight_number (text) - Flight identifier flight_date (date) - Travel date seat_number (text) - Assigned seat ticket_status (text) - Status (confirmed, cancelled, checked-in) booking_reference (text) - Booking confirmation code fare_class (text) - Ticket class (economy, business, first) created_at (timestamp) - Booking timestamp updated_at (timestamp) - Last modification timestamp

sync_logs table - Audit trail and system logs with columns: log_id (integer) - Unique log identifier workflow_name (text) - Name of the workflow that created the log total_changes (integer) - Number of schedule changes processed sync_status (text) - Status (completed, failed, partial) sync_timestamp (timestamp) - When the sync occurred details (json) - Detailed log information and changes error_message (text) - Error details if sync failed execution_time_ms (integer) - Processing time in milliseconds

Communication Channels Slack - Internal team notifications SendGrid - Passenger email notifications Twilio - Critical SMS alerts Internal webhooks - System integrations

How to Use

Import the workflow into your n8n instance Configure aviation API credentials (AviationStack, FlightAware, or airline-specific APIs) Set up PostgreSQL database connection with required tables Configure Slack bot token for operations team notifications Set up SendGrid API key and email templates for passenger notifications Configure Twilio credentials for SMS alerts (critical notifications only) Test with sample flight data to verify all notification channels Adjust monitoring frequency and severity thresholds based on operational needs Monitor sync logs to ensure reliable data synchronization

Requirements

API Access Aviation data provider (AviationStack, FlightAware, etc.) SendGrid account for email delivery Twilio account for SMS notifications Slack workspace and bot token

Database Setup PostgreSQL database with flight schedule tables Passenger and ticket management tables Audit logging tables for tracking changes

Infrastructure n8n instance with appropriate node modules Reliable internet connection for API calls Proper credential management and security

Customizing This Workflow

Modify the Process Changes node to adjust change detection sensitivity, add custom business rules, or integrate additional data sources like weather or airport operational data. Customize notification templates in the email and SMS nodes to match your airline's branding and communication style. Adjust the Schedule Trigger frequency based on your operational requirements and API rate limits.