Flight Watch: why is real-time monitoring crucial to avoiding delays and incidents?
- Emeline Ferro
- Jul 24
- 5 min read
Every day, thousands of planes cross the sky with one thing in common: punctuality and safety. Behind this apparent fluidity lies a real effort in monitoring, coordination, and analysis called Flight Watch, or real-time flight monitoring.
Born with the rise of commercial flights in the 1980s and 1990s, this service has become more professional with the advent of satellite communication technologies, ADS-B radar and, more recently, artificial intelligence. Today, Flight Watch is essential to all segments of the aviation industry: commercial airlines, private aviation, cargo flights, government and military missions.
But what does this involve in practical terms? Flight Watch consists of monitoring a flight in real time, from preparation to landing, by analyzing all critical data: flight path, weather conditions, regulatory constraints, aircraft status, and ground crew availability. This mission is carried out by specialized operators, available 24/7, who use advanced tools to alert, respond, adjust, and ensure the smooth running of the flight.
In this article, we will look at how flight monitoring has become so crucial to avoiding delays and incidents, what the concrete benefits are, and how My OPS's expertise transforms this operational obligation into a real performance lever for airlines.
My OPS services are available worldwide, find your location right here
The major challenge of Flight Watch: preventing delays and protecting flight operations
In the aviation industry, every minute counts. Punctuality is much more than a commercial promise: it is a standard expected by passengers, airlines, VIP customers, and logistics partners alike. According to Eurocontrol, flight delays cost European operators nearly €1 billion per year. Between the intensification of global traffic (+15% between 2022 and 2024) and increasingly frequent weather disruptions, real-time flight monitoring (Flight Watch) has become an essential operational lever.
As in the world of fine dining and luxury hotels, air operations must be orchestrated down to the last detail. Each person involved has a specific role to play, within a tight schedule. A single delay can have a domino effect and disrupt the entire chain. Take the example of a private jet flight: a simple 10-minute delay can affect the schedules of the pilot, co-pilot, ramp agents, cleaning crews, catering services, customs officers, ground staff, private drivers, and security teams. For the VIP customer, it's just a minor inconvenience. But for operators, it means a series of costs, reorganizations, and sometimes even lost business. Flight Watch provides real-time control over this complex chain and anticipates any deviations before they impact the entire operation.
Beyond punctuality, Flight Watch is also a fundamental tool for air safety. Being able to immediately detect an unplanned route change, a severe weather alert, or a technical malfunction allows critical decisions to be made in real time, reducing the risk of major incidents. The safety of passengers and crew is at stake.
Every minute of delay has a significant financial cost: additional fuel, parking fees, passenger compensation, crew rescheduling, and even loss of contracts in private aviation or sensitive cargo. An IATA study estimates that a 15-minute flight delay generates an average of €1,000 to €1,500 in direct additional costs. In this context, My OPS Flight Watch services are not just a monitoring tool, but a strategic investment in the profitability of your air operations.
My OPS services are available worldwide, find your location right here
What are the main causes of delays and incidents in aviation?
Disruptions are not only caused by weather conditions. While extreme weather (storms, strong winds, fog, etc.) is responsible for nearly 25% of delays worldwide (source: IATA - International Air Transport Association), other factors also come into play:
Airport congestion: with traffic constantly on the rise, landing and takeoff slots are increasingly contested. Aircraft often find themselves in queues, both on the ground and on approach.
Ground coordination issues: when handlers, maintenance teams, catering or security are not synchronized, the slightest deviation from the schedule causes a chain reaction of delays.
Technical issues: a minor fault can ground an aircraft for several hours, especially if spare parts or technicians have to be brought in from a secondary airport.
Complex airspace management: between temporarily closed military zones, air traffic control strikes and restrictions linked to geopolitical conflicts, flight plans have to be constantly adjusted.
Human error: a crew stuck on a previous flight, a late passenger, suspicious luggage... these are all minor incidents that can cause major delays.
Added to this is the domino effect: a flight that is initially delayed can disrupt several subsequent flights, affect other airports, and even impact partner airlines in the case of airline alliances.
Without constant monitoring, these factors can combine and cause major disruptions across an entire network. This is why Flight Watch is so essential: it allows you to identify, isolate, and resolve each anomaly in real time, before it compromises the entire operation.
My OPS services are available worldwide, find your location right here
Good to know 💡
What is often forgotten is that disruptions to the commercial network can have a direct impact on private aviation, and vice versa. This is because air traffic is interdependent.
A delayed private jet can tie up a runway or a slot that is already under pressure, causing delays for commercial flights scheduled to the minute. Similarly, congestion at international hubs can prevent a private jet from landing or taking off, even if it is on a VIP or urgent mission. This interdependence between different segments of air traffic makes real-time monitoring (flight watch) even more essential for anticipating conflicts of use, reallocating resources, and maintaining the overall balance of operations.
Without constant monitoring, these factors can combine to cause major disruptions across an entire network. That's why My OPS's Flight Watch service is so essential.
Flight Watch: The concrete benefits of real-time monitoring
Continuous end-to-end supervision: Flight Watch provides total control over operations, from takeoff to landing. The operations team receives alerts in the event of a change in flight path, adverse weather conditions, or potential delays.
Better resource allocation: By analyzing flight data in real time, handlers, catering teams, and fuel services can organize themselves more efficiently and limit waiting or downtime.
An improved customer experience: By anticipating delays or incidents, operators can inform VIP passengers, reorganize connections, or offer alternative solutions. The result: less stress, greater satisfaction, and a stronger image.
My OPS: 24/7 Flight Watch for seamless aviation operations
At My OPS, Flight Watch is more than just monitoring. It is a comprehensive solution that combines cutting-edge technology, human expertise, and customization for each client profile.
Our system relies on a range of advanced tools: ADS-B data, radar and satellite tracking, real-time weather feeds to anticipate turbulence, and artificial intelligence to detect delay risks using machine learning algorithms. All this data is centralized in an intuitive dashboard, monitored 24/7 by a team of operational experts.
But our strength lies above all in our ability to adapt our expertise to the specific needs of each type of customer:
For business aviation, where punctuality is crucial to brand image, we guarantee zero surprises and perfect coordination with drivers, ground staff, and handlers.
For cargo flights, which are often subject to tight contractual deadlines, we provide rigorous monitoring to optimize aircraft rotation and minimize downtime.
For government and military missions, we offer an increased level of confidentiality, anticipation, and security for sensitive journeys.
For commercial airlines, our monitoring contributes to better network regulation, proactive delay management, and smooth connections.
These commitments are backed up by impressive figures:
98% of our customers rate our service as “excellent,”
More than 1,000 flights managed each year,
15 minutes maximum response time for all operational requests,
2,000 crew members supported in their missions,
An active presence on six continents.
In short, My OPS does more than just monitor your flights: we manage the performance of your operations with rigor, agility, and commitment. We are much more than a service provider; we are your partner for peace of mind in the air and on the ground.
My OPS services are available worldwide, find your location right here
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