Weather conditions have a big impact on aviation. Strong headwinds can extend travel time while sudden storms can affect departures and arrivals as aircraft avoid hazardous conditions. Understanding local weather close to the aerodrome increases flight safety and efficiency, especially when meteorological information can be integrated into decision-making processes. SESAR is improving meteorological information services and capabilities to enhance accurate and timely delivery of information and make it compatible with SWIM.

The solution builds on SESAR 1 work to make weather information available to ATM stakeholders from the four-dimensional weather cube (4DWxCube) – a virtual repository of shared information from multiple meteorological service providers – via its SWIM compliant MET-GATE. The latest research focuses on adapting, prototyping and validating the MET-GATE functional block. SESAR proposes two solutions: The ground weather management system (GWMS) and associated glide path wind profile capability; and METForTAM information service, both designed to improve situational awareness and decision-making.

A technical validation examined whether the developed components could be incorporated in various ATM systems and meet the operational objectives. Two exercises showed the requirements could be met, including down- and uplink services, in accordance with SWIM technical infrastructure yellow profile i.e based on web services with no real-time or near real-time requirements.

The new capability glide wind profile has been developed as the provider of glide wind data to the GWMS using mature sources like radar and Lidar sensors. The purpose is to enhance separation procedures based on the collected wind data.

SESAR recommends development of additional SWIM services centred around local MET capabilities and requirements, in addition to a long-term validation exercise to test handling several services at more than one airport to demonstrate the full capabilities of 4DWxCube. This would serve to demonstrate the benefits compared with currently available meteorological information and data provision.

The solution is available for industrialisation.

BENEFITS

• Increased cost efficiency
• Enhanced safety and security

DATAPACKS

• SESAR 2020 Contextual Note PJ18-04b_GWMS_V1.3 
• D4.2.200 PJ18-04b TRL6 TVALR V1.7 
• D4.2.210 PJ18-04b TRL6 TS IRS V.2.1