CrewBench API

REST API for operators to integrate CrewBench with external tools.

Introduction

The CrewBench External API gives your team programmatic access to your company's pilot schedule and duty request workflow. You can use it to pull schedule data into third-party dispatch tools, read pending crew requests, and approve, decline, or modify them — the same actions available in the web and mobile apps.

The API uses REST conventions, accepts and returns JSON, and is authenticated with long-lived API keys you generate in your settings.

Authentication

Every request must include your API key in the Authorization header as a Bearer token.

Authorization: Bearer cbk_your_api_key_here

Requests without a valid key, or using a revoked key, receive a 401 Unauthorized response.

Generating API Keys

To create an API key:

• Log in to CrewBench and go to Settings → API.
• Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "Jeppesen integration") and click Generate Key.
• Copy the key immediately — it is shown only once and cannot be retrieved later.
• To revoke a key, click Revoke next to it in the API settings page.

Base URL & Versioning

All endpoints are prefixed with:

https://crewbench.io/api/v1/external

The current version is v1. The version is included in the URL; breaking changes will be released under a new version.

GET /schedule

Returns all active pilots in your company along with their duty schedule for the requested date range.

Query Parameters

Example Request

curl -X GET "https://crewbench.io/api/v1/external/schedule?start_date=2026-10-01&end_date=2026-10-31" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer cbk_your_api_key"

Example Response

{
  "schedule": [
    {
      "id": 42,
      "name": "John Smith",
      "role": "Captain",
      "ioe": false,
      "check_airman": true,
      "duty_days": [
        {
          "date": "2026-10-05",
          "duty_code": "ON",
          "label": "On Duty",
          "color": "#2563EB"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "id": 43,
      "name": "Sarah Lee",
      "role": "First Officer",
      "ioe": true,
      "check_airman": false,
      "duty_days": []
    }
  ],
  "start_date": "2026-10-01",
  "end_date": "2026-10-31"
}

Pilot fields

GET /duty_requests

Returns all pending duty requests, regardless of who initiated them. This includes both crew-initiated requests (pilot asking the operator for a duty assignment) and operator-initiated requests (operator asking a pilot to accept a duty assignment).

Use the requires_action field to distinguish between the two: crew-initiated requests require you to approve, decline, or modify them; operator-initiated requests are awaiting the pilot's response and no action is needed from you.

Example Request

curl -X GET "https://crewbench.io/api/v1/external/duty_requests" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer cbk_your_api_key"

Example Response

{
  "duty_requests": [
    {
      "id": 99,
      "pilot_name": "Jane Doe",
      "bench_pilot_id": 42,
      "duty_code": "OFF",
      "duty_code_label": "Day Off",
      "dates": ["2026-10-10", "2026-10-11"],
      "initiated_by": "crew",
      "requires_action": true,
      "pilot_message": "Family event",
      "operator_message": null,
      "created_at": "2026-10-03T14:22:00Z"
    },
    {
      "id": 100,
      "pilot_name": "John Smith",
      "bench_pilot_id": 43,
      "duty_code": "ON",
      "duty_code_label": "On Duty",
      "dates": ["2026-10-15"],
      "initiated_by": "operator",
      "requires_action": false,
      "pilot_message": null,
      "operator_message": "We need you on the 15th.",
      "created_at": "2026-10-04T09:10:00Z"
    }
  ]
}

Response fields

POST /duty_requests/:id/approve

Approve a pending crew-submitted duty request. The request status is set to confirmed. Only applies to crew-initiated requests (requires_action: true).

Path Parameters

Request Body (JSON)

Example Request

curl -X POST "https://crewbench.io/api/v1/external/duty_requests/99/approve" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer cbk_your_api_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"message": "Approved. Enjoy your days off."}'

Example Response

{ "success": true }

POST /duty_requests/:id/decline

Decline a pending crew-submitted duty request. Only applies to crew-initiated requests (requires_action: true).

Request Body (JSON)

Example Request

curl -X POST "https://crewbench.io/api/v1/external/duty_requests/99/decline" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer cbk_your_api_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"message": "We need full coverage that week."}'

Example Response

{ "success": true }

POST /duty_requests/:id/modify

Partially approve a crew-initiated request by specifying which of the requested dates are approved. Only applies to crew-initiated requests (requires_action: true).

Request Body (JSON)

Example Request

curl -X POST "https://crewbench.io/api/v1/external/duty_requests/99/modify" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer cbk_your_api_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"approved_dates": ["2026-10-10"], "message": "Only the 10th is possible."}'

Example Response

{ "success": true }

Error Responses

All errors return a JSON body with an error field describing the problem.

{ "error": "Unauthorized" }

Rate Limits

The API is rate-limited to 60 requests per minute per API key. If you exceed this limit, you will receive a 429 Too Many Requests response. Wait one minute before retrying.