A mobile phone application has been considered a threat to airline security because of its ability to track the progress of aircraft.

According to a report from The Daily Mail, Plane Finder AR is said to provide readings on the speed of the plane, its airline and flight number and its height, origin and destination.

The application, which costs just $US3, was developed by a British firm. The software displays a plane's flight path a user points a phone towards the sky.

Since its launch last month, the application has been downloaded about 2000 times. Fears have surfaced over the service's potential to be used for guiding surface-to-air missiles or planes for a collision with the use of a Google Android handset or an iPhone.

The Federal Aviation Authority said that broadcasting the location of aircraft "would open the door for a terrorist to attack a specific aircraft or airline" in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks. Patrick Mercer, a conservative lawmaker from the UK, called for a ban on airline tracking equipment that are sold to the public.

Pinkfoot, the maker of the application, said that the service's effectiveness for targeting aircraft has been lessened due to a delay in the readings.