diff --git a/src/blackcore/vatsimbookingreader.cpp b/src/blackcore/vatsimbookingreader.cpp
index 885e6b30c..6239e7358 100644
--- a/src/blackcore/vatsimbookingreader.cpp
+++ b/src/blackcore/vatsimbookingreader.cpp
@@ -2,7 +2,9 @@
 #include "blackmisc/avatcstation.h"
 #include "blackmisc/nwuser.h"
 #include "vatsimbookingreader.h"
+
 #include <QtXml/QDomElement>
+#include <QtConcurrent/QtConcurrent>
 
 using namespace BlackMisc;
 using namespace BlackMisc::Aviation;
@@ -41,6 +43,14 @@ namespace BlackCore
      * Bookings read from XML
      */
     void CVatsimBookingReader::loadFinished(QNetworkReply *nwReply)
+    {
+        QtConcurrent::run(this, &CVatsimBookingReader::parseBookings, nwReply);
+    }
+
+    /*
+     * Parse bookings
+     */
+    void CVatsimBookingReader::parseBookings(QNetworkReply *nwReply)
     {
         if (nwReply->error() == QNetworkReply::NoError)
         {
@@ -100,10 +110,12 @@ namespace BlackCore
                 }
                 m_updateTimestamp = QDateTime::currentDateTimeUtc();
                 emit this->dataRead(bookedStations);
-                nwReply->close();
-                nwReply->deleteLater();
 
             } // node
         } // content
+
+        nwReply->close();
+        nwReply->deleteLater();
+
     } // method
 } // namespace
diff --git a/src/blackcore/vatsimbookingreader.h b/src/blackcore/vatsimbookingreader.h
index 25b6feb31..b8a763baf 100644
--- a/src/blackcore/vatsimbookingreader.h
+++ b/src/blackcore/vatsimbookingreader.h
@@ -49,9 +49,12 @@ namespace BlackCore
         QDateTime m_updateTimestamp;
         QTimer *m_updateTimer;
 
+        //! Parse received bookings
+        void parseBookings(QNetworkReply *nwReply);
+
     signals:
-        //! \brief Bookings have been read and converted to BlackMisc::Aviation::CAtcStationList
-        void dataRead(BlackMisc::Aviation::CAtcStationList bookedStations);
+        //! Bookings have been read and converted to BlackMisc::Aviation::CAtcStationList
+        void dataRead(const BlackMisc::Aviation::CAtcStationList &bookedStations);
     };
 }
 #endif // guard
diff --git a/src/blackcore/vatsimdatafilereader.cpp b/src/blackcore/vatsimdatafilereader.cpp
index 290ed9bad..0dc9f3339 100644
--- a/src/blackcore/vatsimdatafilereader.cpp
+++ b/src/blackcore/vatsimdatafilereader.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 #include "vatsimdatafilereader.h"
 
 #include <QRegularExpression>
+#include <QtConcurrent/QtConcurrent>
 
 using namespace BlackMisc;
 using namespace BlackMisc::Aviation;
@@ -27,9 +28,13 @@ namespace BlackCore
     void CVatsimDataFileReader::read()
     {
         if (this->m_serviceUrls.isEmpty()) return;
+
+        // round robin for load distribution
         this->m_currentUrlIndex++;
         if (this->m_serviceUrls.size() >= this->m_currentUrlIndex) this->m_currentUrlIndex = 0;
 
+        // remark: Don't use QThread to run network operations in the background
+        // see http://qt-project.org/doc/qt-4.7/qnetworkaccessmanager.html
         QUrl url(this->m_serviceUrls.at(this->m_currentUrlIndex));
         if (url.isEmpty()) return;
         Q_ASSERT(this->m_networkManager);
@@ -111,6 +116,14 @@ namespace BlackCore
      * Data file read from XML
      */
     void CVatsimDataFileReader::loadFinished(QNetworkReply *nwReply)
+    {
+        QtConcurrent::run(this, &CVatsimDataFileReader::parseVatsimFileInBackground, nwReply);
+    }
+
+    /*
+     * Data file read from XML
+     */
+    void CVatsimDataFileReader::parseVatsimFileInBackground(QNetworkReply *nwReply)
     {
         // Example: http://info.vroute.net/vatsim-data.txt
         if (nwReply->error() == QNetworkReply::NoError)
@@ -248,6 +261,9 @@ namespace BlackCore
                 }
             } // for each
         }
+
+        nwReply->close();
+        nwReply->deleteLater(); // we are responsible for reading this
         emit this->dataRead();
     }
 
diff --git a/src/blackcore/vatsimdatafilereader.h b/src/blackcore/vatsimdatafilereader.h
index 0d8031932..c23862279 100644
--- a/src/blackcore/vatsimdatafilereader.h
+++ b/src/blackcore/vatsimdatafilereader.h
@@ -98,6 +98,9 @@ namespace BlackCore
             SectionGeneral
         };
 
+        //! Parse the VATSIM data file in backgroun
+        void parseVatsimFileInBackground(QNetworkReply *nwReply);
+
     signals:
         //! Data have been read
         void dataRead();