Last Thursday 1 September, Yann Dufournet for SkyEcho and Desley Kemper from To70 spoke in depth during our RHIA Talks about the potential of high-definition weather data during the RHIA Talks. Weather is an essential factor if you look at airport operations. Wind, rain, hail, thunder, snow, visibility, turbulence, and clouds are just examples of weather that determine runway use and airside operations. Using high definition (near) real-time might help to mitigate the adverse effects of dealing with this type of weather. This is especially important since climate change is accelerating the number of extreme weather events.

How does this kind of technology contribute to airport operation? What are the benefits and who is profiting? How are or can these technologies be used around the airport? How does this help airlines to operate smoother and more efficient flights? And what’s next?

By combining data from the numerous instruments measuring weather, filtering out the necessary data, and providing the end-user (such as traffic controllers and pilots) with relevant information to make adequate decisions. For example, bird radars that are already in place at Rotterdam Airport, can help monitor certain weather conditions.

The potential of high-definition weather data is one of the projects that The Airport Technology Lab (ATL) is working on. Together with our project partners; Adecs Airinfra, Robin Radar, SkyEcho B.V., To70 Aviation, bagchain, WorldStartup, De Haagse Hogeschool / The Hague University of Applied Sciences, City of Rotterdam, mboRijnland, Technische Universiteit Delft, Rotterdam The Hague Airport, Urban Transition Group, iLabs en Deck180 we work on the development, testing and demonstration environment for innovative airport products and services. 

The Airport Technology Lab is made possible by the European Union and the EFRO Opportunities for West II programme.

Are you interested in what’s happening at ATL, contact Mathijs Koper, Programme manager ATL or check out our news page.