RouteMapper is a free web-based tool for plotting airline routes on an interactive map. It supports great circle paths, Mercator and globe projections, 3D arc visualization, route animation, CSV import, and network analytics. It's used by aviation professionals, airline analysts, airport route development teams, and aviation enthusiasts.

How do I plot a route on RouteMapper?

Enter airport codes (IATA or ICAO) separated by a dash in the route input box, for example LHR-JFK. You can enter multiple routes on separate lines. Then click Plot or Animate to render the routes on the map. RouteMapper supports over 40,000 airports worldwide.

Can I import routes from a CSV file?

Yes. RouteMapper supports CSV import with flexible column mapping. Upload a CSV with origin and destination airport codes, and optionally include values like passenger counts, frequencies, or revenue. The tool will automatically map columns and plot all routes.

Yes. RouteMapper is free to use for personal, educational, and commercial purposes. No account is required for basic mapping. Sign in to save and load map configurations.

What projections does RouteMapper support?

RouteMapper supports Mercator and Globe projections. In Mercator mode, routes can be rendered with 3D arc height using Deck.gl. Globe mode shows routes on a 3D spherical earth with correct great circle paths.

About RouteMapper

Free interactive aviation route mapping tool — used by airlines, airports and consultants

RouteMapper is a web-based flight route mapping and visualization tool built for the aviation industry. It lets you plot airline route networks on an interactive map, calculate great circle distances, animate routes, draw range circles and analyze airport connectivity — all from your browser with no software to install.

Whether you're an airline route planner evaluating a new market, an airport commercial team preparing a route development pitch, an aviation consultant building a presentation, RouteMapper gives you a professional-grade tool to visualize flight routes on both Mercator and globe projections.

Open RouteMapper →

Quick Start Guide

Get your first route map plotted in under a minute.

Plotting a single route

Open RouteMapper — the map loads with the route input panel on the left.
In the Routes text box, type an origin-destination pair using IATA or ICAO codes separated by a dash. For example: LHR-JFK
Click Plot to render the route on the map, or Animate to watch it draw across the map.
The route tooltip shows distance, airport details, runway length, and elevation when you hover over a plotted route.

Route input format

Enter one route per line. Routes can be simple pairs or multi-stop sequences:

// Simple origin-destination

LHR-JFK

CDG-NRT

// Multi-stop sequence (plots each leg)

SIN-HKG-NRT-LAX

// With a value (passengers, frequency, etc.)

DXB-LHR 450000

SFO-ICN 180000

// Using ICAO codes

EGLL-KJFK

// Using coordinates

51.47,-0.45-40.64,-73.78

Importing from CSV

Click the CSV button in the route input panel.
Select your CSV file. RouteMapper auto-detects columns for origin, destination, and value.
Review the column mapping and adjust if needed, then click Plot.
All routes from the CSV are plotted on the map. Values can be visualized as thickness, color, or altitude.

Customizing your map

Use the Map Options panel to change the basemap theme, route colors, line width, endpoint markers, and label styles. Toggle route borders, adjust arc height, and switch between Mercator and globe projection. The Advanced Options panel gives access to range circles, population overlays, and live flight tracking.

Key Features

Great Circle Route Mapping Plot accurate great circle paths between any two airports. Routes follow the shortest path over the Earth's surface, correctly rendering polar and trans-Pacific routes.

Thousands of Airports Look up airports by IATA code, ICAO code, or city name. The database includes commercial airports, regional airfields, sea plane bases and heliports worldwide.

Mercator & Globe Projection Switch between a flat Mercator map and a 3D globe view. Both projections render routes with correct great circle geometry.

3D Arc Height In Mercator mode, elevate routes above the map surface with adjustable arc height using Deck.gl rendering. Useful for visualizing route density and avoiding overlap.

Route Animation Animate routes drawing across the map, including 3D arc animation in Mercator mode. Record animations as video for use in presentations.

CSV Import & Batch Plotting Upload a CSV file with origin-destination pairs to plot hundreds of routes at once. Flexible column mapping supports any CSV format.

Route Values & Heatmaps Attach values to routes (passengers, frequency, revenue) and visualize them as line thickness, color gradient, or altitude. Supports multiple value modes.

Network Analytics Analyze route networks by origin airport. View distance statistics, route counts, and connectivity metrics. Set an analytics origin to explore hub-and-spoke patterns.

Range Circles Draw range rings from any airport to show aircraft operating range. Useful for fleet planning and new route feasibility analysis.

Population Density Overlay Toggle GHS population density and built-up volume layers to identify catchment areas and underserved markets near airports.

Multiple Map Themes Choose from light, dark, satellite, and terrain basemaps. Customize route colors, borders, labels, and endpoint markers.

Save, Share & Export Save map configurations to your account. Share maps via URL. Export route data and download animation recordings.

Use Cases

How aviation professionals use RouteMapper.

Airline Route Planning

Visualize proposed route networks, compare seasonal schedules, and evaluate new market opportunities. Import OAG or schedule data via CSV to map your entire network at once.

Airport Route Development

Build route maps for airline pitches. Show catchment area population, range circles for aircraft types, and competitive route overlap to make the case for new services.

Aviation Consulting

Create presentation-ready route maps for client deliverables. Animate route deployments for board presentations. Export maps and recordings for reports and pitch decks.

Example Route Maps

Click any example to open it in RouteMapper.

Transatlantic routes

A selection of major transatlantic routes between Europe and North America:

Open this example →

Star Alliance hub network

Major hub connections within the Star Alliance network:

Open this example →

Ultra long-haul routes

The world's longest non-stop commercial routes:

Open this example →

Frequently Asked Questions

What airport codes does RouteMapper accept?

RouteMapper accepts IATA codes (e.g. LHR, JFK, NRT), ICAO codes (e.g. EGLL, KJFK, RJTT), and latitude/longitude coordinates. The database covers thousands of airports, airfields, and heliports worldwide.

How are distances calculated?

Distances are calculated using the Vincenty formula on the WGS84 ellipsoid, which gives sub-meter accuracy for geodesic distances. Results are shown in kilometers, nautical miles, or statute miles.

Can I use RouteMapper for commercial purposes?

Yes. RouteMapper is free for personal, educational, and commercial use. If you embed or redistribute the tool, you must include attribution to RouteMapper.com. See the Terms of Use for details.

Do I need an account?

No account is required for mapping routes. Sign in (free) to save and load map configurations across sessions.

What browsers are supported?

RouteMapper works in all modern browsers with WebGL2 support, including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge. A desktop browser is recommended for the best experience, though mobile browsers are supported.

Can I export or download my map?

You can share your map via URL (the current state is encoded in the link). Route animations can be recorded and downloaded as video. Full image export is on the roadmap.

Is the data real-time?

The airport database is static and updated periodically. RouteMapper does not display real-time flight tracking data by default, though a live flights overlay is available as an experimental feature. The tool is designed for route planning and visualization, not real-time operations.