Convective Weather Constraint Awareness for Southeast Asia

Flight operations in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region transit the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), where air masses from the Northern and Southern Hemispheres converge at the equator.  As a result, thunderstorms and their associated hazards (e.g. Turbulence, Lightning, Hail, and Wind Shear) are common, disrupting the normal flow of air traffic. Additionally, APAC Air Navigation Service Providers (ANSPs) routinely make Air Traffic Flow Management (ATFM) decisions using reactive tactical deviations to avoid thunderstorms. A strategic outlook capability, currently not available, would help reduce the air traffic control workload associated with tactical deviations. Additionally, economic projections of forecasted increases in traffic demand coupled with the expansion projects at several major SE Asia airports will make the utilization of tactical deviations increasingly difficult to achieve in the future.

This poster presentation illustrates a web based decision support tool aimed at providing ATFM with early identification of thunderstorm constraints to enroute air traffic within a flight information region (FIR). A primary goal of the research is to provide common situational awareness for operational users and facilitate ANSP collaboration on inter-FIR routing strategies. Early identification of constrained airspace and proactive air traffic management decisions allows time to anticipate and develop problem resolution actions.