Installation

Fli can be installed in multiple ways depending on your use case. Choose the method that best fits your needs.

Requirements

Python 3.10 or higher
pip, pipx, or uv package manager

Fli requires Python 3.10+ and works on Linux, macOS, and Windows.

Installation methods

pipx (recommended for CLI)
pip
uv

pipx is the recommended way to install Fli if you primarily want to use the CLI or MCP server. It installs the package in an isolated environment while making the commands globally available.

# Install pipx if you don't have it
python3 -m pip install --user pipx
python3 -m pipx ensurepath

# Install Fli
pipx install flights

After installation, you can use the CLI commands directly:

fli --help
fli-mcp
fli-mcp-http

pipx is ideal for CLI tools because it installs them in isolated environments, preventing dependency conflicts with other Python projects.

Use pip if you want to use Fli as a library in your Python projects or install it in a virtual environment.

# Create a virtual environment (recommended)
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate  # On Windows: venv\Scripts\activate

# Install Fli
pip install flights

You can now import Fli in your Python code:

from fli.models import Airport, FlightSearchFilters
from fli.search import SearchFlights

uv is a fast Python package installer and resolver. Use it for development or if you prefer modern tooling.

# Install uv if you don't have it
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh

# Install Fli
uv pip install flights

You can also run Fli commands directly with uv:

# Run CLI without installing
uvx flights flights JFK LAX 2025-10-25

# Run MCP server
uvx flights fli-mcp

uv is significantly faster than pip and includes built-in virtual environment management.

Verify installation

After installation, verify that Fli is installed correctly:

# Check Fli version
fli --help

# You should see the help message with available commands

# Start a Python interpreter
python3

# Import Fli
>>> from fli.search import SearchFlights
>>> from fli.models import Airport
>>> print(Airport.JFK.value)
JFK

# Check MCP server
which fli-mcp

# Should show the path to the MCP server executable
# Example: /Users/username/.local/bin/fli-mcp

Available commands

After installation, the following commands are available:

Command	Description
`fli`	Main CLI interface for flight searches
`fli-mcp`	MCP server for STDIO communication
`fli-mcp-http`	MCP server over HTTP at `http://127.0.0.1:8000/mcp/`

Development installation

If you want to contribute to Fli or run it from source:

Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/punitarani/fli.git
cd fli

Install with development dependencies

# Using uv (recommended)
uv sync --all-extras

# Or using pip
pip install -e ".[dev]"

Verify development setup

# Run tests
uv run pytest

# Run linting
uv run ruff check .

# Run CLI from source
uv run fli --help

Troubleshooting

Command not found: fli

If you installed with pipx, make sure pipx’s bin directory is in your PATH:

python3 -m pipx ensurepath

Then restart your terminal or run:

source ~/.bashrc  # or ~/.zshrc on macOS

Python version error

Fli requires Python 3.10 or higher. Check your Python version:

python3 --version

If you need to install a newer Python version, use:

macOS: brew install python@3.12
Linux: sudo apt install python3.12 (Ubuntu/Debian)
Windows: Download from python.org

Permission denied errors

If you encounter permission errors during installation:

# Use --user flag with pip
pip install --user flights

# Or use pipx (recommended)
pipx install flights

Import errors

If you can’t import Fli modules, ensure you’re in the correct environment:

# Check if Fli is installed
pip list | grep flights

# Reinstall if necessary
pip install --force-reinstall flights

Get Started

MCP Server

CLI Usage

Python Library

Guides

Installation

Requirements

Installation methods

Verify installation

Available commands

Development installation

Troubleshooting

Next steps

Quick start

MCP Server setup

​Requirements

​Installation methods

​Verify installation

​Available commands

​Development installation

​Troubleshooting

​Next steps

Quick start

MCP Server setup

Requirements

Installation methods

Verify installation

Available commands

Development installation

Troubleshooting

Next steps