Aircraft Types

Overview

`icao` matches the ICAO type designator or the FAA designator exactly (case-insensitive) and returns that one type. Without it, `manufacturer` and `model` are substring matches after stripping punctuation, so `model=737` finds every 737 variant and `manufacturer=deHavilland` finds DE HAVILLAND; `engineType`, `wakeCategory` and `engines` narrow the result, or search on their own (`wakeCategory=super` lists every Super type). Searches are ordered by annual flight-plan operations, so the types you meet most often come first, and `count` reports every match while `limit` (default 10, at most 50) caps `types`.

The figures come from the FAA Aircraft Characteristics Database, which the FAA compiles from manufacturer airport planning manuals and Flight Standardization Board reports for airport design under AC 150/5300-13B. `approachCategory` follows the highest approach speed at maximum landing weight; where the FAA gives two values, `approachSpeedRangeKnots` carries both. `designGroup` combines tail height and wingspan, and `airport.taxiwayDesignGroup` combines main gear width and cockpit to main gear distance. Metric values are converted from the published feet and pounds.

No match returns 404. The ICAO wake category is normalised to Light, Medium, Heavy or Super; a few light-sport types are listed by the FAA as Light/Medium and keep that value. On the Free plan the airport, wake and usage leaves and `remarks` are null.

Live Test Aircraft Types API →

Endpoint

One host, one path per API. The block below shows this call in four languages; every one of them is the same HTTP request. Making requests covers the timeouts, retries and parameter rules that apply to all of them. The SDKs wrap the same call in a typed client.

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curl "https://api.apiverve.com/v1/aircrafttypes?icao=B738&manufacturer=Airbus&model=737&engineType=jet&wakeCategory=heavy&engines=2&limit=10" \
  -H "x-api-key: your_api_key_here"

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const res = await fetch('https://api.apiverve.com/v1/aircrafttypes?icao=B738&manufacturer=Airbus&model=737&engineType=jet&wakeCategory=heavy&engines=2&limit=10', {
  headers: { 'x-api-key': 'your_api_key_here' },
});

if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`${res.status} ${await res.text()}`);

const { data } = await res.json();
console.log(data);

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import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.apiverve.com/v1/aircrafttypes?icao=B738&manufacturer=Airbus&model=737&engineType=jet&wakeCategory=heavy&engines=2&limit=10",
    headers={"x-api-key": "your_api_key_here"},
    timeout=15,
)
res.raise_for_status()

print(res.json()["data"])

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package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"io"
	"net/http"
)

func main() {
	req, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", "https://api.apiverve.com/v1/aircrafttypes?icao=B738&manufacturer=Airbus&model=737&engineType=jet&wakeCategory=heavy&engines=2&limit=10", nil)
	req.Header.Set("x-api-key", "your_api_key_here")

	res, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
	defer res.Body.Close()

	out, _ := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
	fmt.Println(string(out))
}

Replace your_api_key_here with the key from your dashboard. When the inputs arrive as a list rather than one at a time, batch requests run up to 200 of them through this same API in a single call.

Authentication

Send your key in the x-api-key header. That is the only auth step — there is no token exchange and no per-endpoint scope to configure. Authentication covers creating, rotating and revoking keys.

Parameters

Sent in the query string. Premium parameters are accepted on every plan but only take effect on plans that include them.

Response

Every API returns the same three top-level keys, so one response handler covers your whole integration: status, error and data. Only data changes shape. Response format covers the envelope, the other output formats and how premium fields are withheld.

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{
  "status": "ok",
  "error": null,
  "data": {
    "count": 1,
    "returned": 1,
    "types": [
      {
        "icaoCode": "B738",
        "faaDesignator": "B738",
        "manufacturer": "BOEING",
        "model": "Boeing 737-800",
        "variant": "Boeing B737-800",
        "aircraftClass": "Fixed-wing",
        "engineType": "Jet",
        "engineCount": 2,
        "wingspanFt": 117.4,
        "wingspanWithoutWingletsFt": 112.6,
        "hasWinglets": true,
        "lengthFt": 129.5,
        "tailHeightFt": 41.4,
        "maxTakeoffWeightLb": 174200,
        "maxLandingWeightLb": 146275,
        "approachSpeedKnots": 144,
        "approachSpeedRangeKnots": {
          "min": 140,
          "max": 144
        },
        "approachCategory": "D",
        "designGroup": "III",
        "icaoWakeCategory": "Medium",
        "faaWeightClass": "Large",
        "metric": {
          "wingspanM": 35.78,
          "lengthM": 39.47,
          "tailHeightM": 12.62,
          "maxTakeoffWeightKg": 79016,
          "maxLandingWeightKg": 66349
        },
        "airport": {
          "taxiwayDesignGroup": "3",
          "wheelbaseFt": 51.2,
          "cockpitToMainGearFt": 56.4,
          "mainGearWidthFt": 23,
          "mainGearConfig": "D",
          "parkingAreaFt2": 16487,
          "parkingAreaM2": 1532,
          "rotorDiameterFt": null
        },
        "wake": {
          "consolidatedCategory": "F",
          "recat15Category": "D",
          "recat2CategoryA": "D",
          "recat2CategoryB": "C",
          "sameRunwaySeparation": "III",
          "lahsoGroup": "8"
        },
        "usage": {
          "usRegistered": true,
          "usRegistrations": 971,
          "annualFlightPlanOperations": 2484764,
          "operationsYear": 2024
        },
        "remarks": "Depending on flaps configuration and MALW, AAC could be C. AAC validated by Flight Standardization Board (FSB) report.",
        "lastUpdated": null
      }
    ]
  }
}

Response fields

Paths are relative to data. Premium fields are absent rather than zeroed on plans that do not include them, so check for presence instead of comparing to 0.

Errors

Read the HTTP status first, then error for the specific reason. The body names the parameter that has to change. Error handling covers the full status list and which of them are worth retrying.

Use cases

Airport Planning

Check whether an aircraft type fits a gate, taxiway or hangar from its wingspan, length, tail height, design group and taxiway design group.

Flight Tracking Apps

Show the aircraft behind an ADS-B type code with its manufacturer, model, size and wake category.

Aviation Training

Look up approach speeds and categories, wake turbulence classes and separation categories for study material and simulators.

Operations and Fees

Price landing or parking fees by maximum takeoff weight and parking area, and group fleets by weight class.

Other ways to use Aircraft Types

Set up Aircraft Types on APIVerve, or reach the same source a different way. Your APIVerve account and credits work on all of them — one key, one balance.

Related

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