A response to hazardous weather: Integrate Weather Information into Traffic Flow Management

In response to the increase in delays in the late 1990s, the FAA has sought to identify projects that would increase capacity and modernize the FAA traffic management system. Since “weather” is reported to be the cause of over 70% of the system-delays, an entire quadrant (25%) of the Operational Evolution Plan (OEP) was devoted to finding solutions to the problem of hazardous weather and the subsequent reduction of capacity in the management of the air traffic system: http://www.faa.gov/programs/oep/. The solution set for this quadrant can be described as, integrate weather information into traffic flow management. There are 3 strategies: improve the forecast (or the lead time); mitigate the consequences (of hazardous weather); and manage the reaction (to traffic management initiatives). These concepts have been applied to 3 major topics where an impact on traffic delays will have the largest effect: 1) Convection Forecasts (extended range and short range); 2) Turbulence Forecasts; and 3) the Restructuring of the Center Weather Service Units (CWSUs). A report on these subprograms is made, their influence on traffic management, and the status of weather projects in the new FAA Air Traffic Organization (ATO).