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

1. Schedule Trigger - Automatically runs every 30 minutes to check for flight schedule updates 2. Fetch Airline Data - Retrieves current flight information from aviation APIs 3. Get Current Schedules - Pulls existing schedule data from the internal database 4. Process Changes - Compares API data with database records to identify schedule changes 5. Check for Changes - Determines if any updates require processing and notifications 6. Update Database - Saves schedule changes to the internal flight database 7. Notify Slack Channel - Sends operational updates to the flight operations team 8. Check Urgent Notifications - Identifies critical changes requiring immediate passenger alerts 9. Get Affected Passengers - Retrieves contact information for passengers on changed flights 10. Send Email Notifications - Dispatches detailed schedule change emails via SendGrid 11. Send SMS (Critical Only) - Sends urgent text alerts for cancellations and major delays 12. Update Internal Systems - Syncs changes with other airline systems via webhooks 13. Log Sync Activity - Records all synchronization activities for audit and monitoring

Data Sources

The workflow integrates with multiple data sources and systems:

1. 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