Do I need an account to use the OpenSky API?

No, the basic API is free and open. However, creating a free account gives you higher rate limits and access to historical flight data.

How do I find the ICAO24 hex code for an aircraft?

You can use the get_all_states tool to see currently tracked aircraft, or look it up on external aviation databases like Planespotters.net.

Can I track flights at a specific airport?

Yes! Use get_arrivals or get_departures with the airport's ICAO code (e.g., KJFK for New York JFK) and a Unix timestamp range.

Can I retrieve flights for a specific time interval?

Yes! Use the get_flights_in_interval action with start and end Unix timestamps.

OpenSky Network MCP Server for VS Code Copilot 8 tools — connect in under 2 minutes

Name: OpenSky Network
Availability: InStock
Author: Vinkius

code.visualstudio.com/docs/copilot/chat/mcp-servers

Built by Vinkius GDPR 8 Tools IDE

GitHub Copilot in VS Code is the most widely adopted AI coding assistant, embedded directly into the world's most popular code editor. With MCP support in Agent mode, Copilot can access external data and APIs to generate context-aware code grounded in real-time information.

Get MCP Server for AI Agents

ASK AI ABOUT THIS MCP SERVER

Open in ChatGPT Open in Claude Open in Perplexity

Vinkius supports streamable HTTP and SSE.

RecommendedModern Approach — Zero Configuration

Vinkius Desktop App

The modern way to manage MCP Servers — no config files, no terminal commands. Install OpenSky Network and 2,500+ MCP Servers from a single visual interface.

Download Free Open SourceNo signup required

Classic Setup·json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "opensky-network": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/[YOUR_TOKEN_HERE]/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Fully ManagedVinkius Servers

60%Token savings

High SecurityEnterprise-grade

IAMAccess control

EU AI ActCompliant

DLPData protection

V8 IsolateSandboxed

Ed25519Audit chain

<40msKill switch

Stream every event to Splunk, Datadog, or your own webhook in real-time

* Every MCP server runs on Vinkius-managed infrastructure inside AWS - a purpose-built runtime with per-request V8 isolates, Ed25519 signed audit chains, and sub-40ms cold starts optimized for native MCP execution. See our infrastructure

About OpenSky Network MCP Server

Connect OpenSky Network to any AI agent and access global, open-source air traffic data -- track aircraft in real-time, view historical flights, and monitor airport activity through natural conversation.

GitHub Copilot Agent mode brings OpenSky Network data directly into your VS Code workflow. With a project-scoped config, the entire team shares access to 8 tools. Copilot queries live data, generates typed code, and writes tests from actual API responses, all without leaving the editor.

What you can do

Real-Time Tracking -- Get the current state of all tracked aircraft including altitude, velocity, and location
Airport Monitoring -- View recent arrivals and departures for any ICAO airport code
Aircraft History -- Retrieve recent flight history and tracks for specific aircraft by ICAO24 hex code
Flight Intervals -- Get all flights that occurred within a specific time window
Account Tracking -- Monitor your own registered aircraft (requires authentication)

The OpenSky Network MCP Server exposes 8 tools through the Vinkius. Connect it to VS Code Copilot in under two minutes — no API keys to rotate, no infrastructure to provision, no vendor lock-in. Your configuration, your data, your control.

How to Connect OpenSky Network to VS Code Copilot via MCP

Follow these steps to integrate the OpenSky Network MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Create MCP config

Create a .vscode/mcp.json file in your project root

Add the server config

Paste the JSON configuration above

Enable Agent mode

Open GitHub Copilot Chat and switch to Agent mode using the dropdown

Start using OpenSky Network

Ask Copilot: "Using OpenSky Network, help me...". 8 tools available

Why Use VS Code Copilot with the OpenSky Network MCP Server

GitHub Copilot for Visual Studio Code provides unique advantages when paired with OpenSky Network through the Model Context Protocol.

VS Code is used by over 70% of developers. adding MCP tools to Copilot means your team can leverage external data without leaving their primary editor

Project-scoped MCP configs (`.vscode/mcp.json`) let you commit server configurations to your repository, ensuring the entire team shares the same tool access

Copilot's Agent mode integrates MCP tools seamlessly with file editing, terminal commands, and workspace search in a single agentic loop

GitHub's enterprise compliance and audit features extend to MCP tool usage, providing visibility into how AI interacts with external services

OpenSky Network + VS Code Copilot Use Cases

Practical scenarios where VS Code Copilot combined with the OpenSky Network MCP Server delivers measurable value.

Live API integration: Copilot can query an MCP server, inspect the response schema, and generate typed API client code in the same step

DevSecOps workflows: security teams can give developers access to domain intelligence tools directly in their editor for real-time vulnerability assessment during code review

Data pipeline development: Copilot fetches sample data via MCP and generates transformation scripts, validators, and test fixtures from actual API responses

Documentation generation: Copilot queries available tools and auto-generates README sections, API reference docs, and usage examples

OpenSky Network MCP Tools for VS Code Copilot (8)

These 8 tools become available when you connect OpenSky Network to VS Code Copilot via MCP:

get_all_states

Optionally filter by specific ICAO24 code. Get the states of all aircraft currently tracked by OpenSky

get_arrivals

Get arrivals at a specific airport

get_departures

Get departures from a specific airport

get_flights_by_aircraft

Get historical flights for a specific aircraft

get_flights_by_interval

Requires authentication. Get all flights in a specific time interval

get_my_flights

Get historical flights for your own aircraft (requires authentication)

get_my_states

Get the states of your own aircraft (requires authentication)

get_recent_tracks

Get recent tracks for a specific aircraft

Example Prompts for OpenSky Network in VS Code Copilot

Ready-to-use prompts you can give your VS Code Copilot agent to start working with OpenSky Network immediately.

"Show me all current flights near my location."

"Track the aircraft with ICAO24 code a1b2c3."

"What flights departed from EDDF in the last 2 hours?"

Troubleshooting OpenSky Network MCP Server with VS Code Copilot

Common issues when connecting OpenSky Network to VS Code Copilot through the Vinkius, and how to resolve them.

MCP tools not available

Ensure you are in Agent mode in Copilot Chat. MCP tools only appear in Agent mode.

OpenSky Network + VS Code Copilot FAQ

Common questions about integrating OpenSky Network MCP Server with VS Code Copilot.

Which VS Code version supports MCP?

MCP support requires VS Code 1.99 or later with the GitHub Copilot extension. Ensure both are updated to the latest version. Older versions of Copilot may not expose the Agent mode toggle.

How do I switch to Agent mode?

Open the Copilot Chat panel and look for two mode options: "Ask" and "Agent". Click "Agent" to enable autonomous tool calling. In Ask mode, Copilot provides conversational answers but cannot invoke MCP tools.

Can I restrict which MCP tools Copilot can access?

Yes. VS Code shows a tool consent dialog before any MCP tool is invoked for the first time. You can also configure tool access policies at the organization level through GitHub Copilot settings.

Does MCP work in VS Code Remote or Codespaces?

Yes. MCP servers configured via .vscode/mcp.json work in Remote SSH, WSL, and GitHub Codespaces environments. The MCP connection is established from the remote host, so ensure the server URL is accessible from that environment.