The use of Space Weather products at Delta Airlines

ABSTRACT

The Use of Space Weather Products at Delta Airlines

As the economical benefits and usage of polar routings increase, access to timely space weather information will become more crucial for Delta Airlines. Delta Meteorology uses the information produced by the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) to issue products to flight dispatchers and pilots regarding solar activity. Current space weather procedures address the issues associated with both communication and health impacts near the polar region. Information about current and forecasted space weather conditions is provided by Delta Meteorology to flight dispatchers on a daily basis when polar routing is the most efficient. In addition, Delta Meteorology will issue alert messages through the Turbulence Plot (TP) system when level 3 or higher is reached on any of the three NOAA Space Weather Scales. Pre-flight and en route, dispatchers and crews will take action to mitigate the impacts of these events using the information provided by these products.