Flight information display system facts for kids

Flight information display LCD board at Munich International Airport

Flight information display system at the airport showing delayed flights following an equipment failure at CINDACTA I.

A Flight Information Display System (FIDS) is a computer system in airports. It tells passengers about arrivals and departures as they happen. The computer system controls mechanical or electronic displays or TV screens.

In large airports, there is a FIDS for each terminal. Some airports use a separate FIDS for each major airline. FID systems help passengers during air travel and people who want to pick-up passengers after the flight.

Each line on an FIDS shows a different flight number and:

• the airline name/logo and/or its IATA or ICAO name
• the city where the aircraft first came from or is going to. It may also show other cities the aircraft is traveling to (or from)
• when the aircraft should take-off or land. This time can change to show if a plane is late
• the gate number
• the check-in counter numbers or the name of the airline in charge of the check-in
• the status of the flight, such as "Landed", "Delayed", or "Boarding"
• if the flight is an arrival or departure

Because of code sharing, a single flight may be shown with many different flight numbers. For example, a flight may use the flight numbers LH474 and AC9099) even though there is just one aircraft doing both flights. Lines may be sorted by time, airline name, or city.

LED FIDS at Charles De Gaulle Airport

Images for kids

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  Split flap display at Tokyo International Airport

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  Modern FIDS display utilising multiple monitors at Melbourne Airport

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  FIDS at Changi International Airport Terminal 2

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  Part of FIDS display at Hong Kong International Airport

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  Digital flight information display system in Jeddah Airport