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Challenge

On May 21, 2024, Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321 experienced severe turbulence over Myanmar. Sudden altitude changes resulted in unsecured passengers and objects being tossed around the cabin. How could the aircraft get into this dangerous situation? An analysis of the weather situation revealed that this turbulence event was most likely caused by developing convective activity as can be seen here. For pilots, it is sometimes difficult to recognize convective activity, because of the limitations of the on-board radar and the fact that conventional weather forecasts cannot predict the exact location and time of the occurrence of convection.

Solution

The company WxFUSION offers a solution with their Cb-global product.  Cb-global uses satellite and lightning data to detect thunderstorms and convectively induced turbulence in near real-time and provides a forecast up to one hour based on these observations. This method is referred to as nowcasting and provides valuable information about the weather hazards beyond the limited view of the on-board radar and with high accuracy with regard to the hazard’s time of occurrence, location, and development. Key features of Cb-global include: 

1. Early Warning: Cb-global provides a situational overview of thunderstorm and convective turbulence activity in real-time and could have informed pilots of significant thunderstorm and turbulence activity over Myanmar already 45 minutes before the incident. This information would have allowed the pilots to take proactive measures. 

2. Detailed Real-Time Information: Continuous updates every ten minutes would have given pilots an accurate picture of the dynamic and rapidly changing convective cells along their flight route. 

3. Better Decision-Making: With information from Cb-global, pilots would have had the opportunity to turn on the seatbelt signs in time or choose alternative routes to avoid turbulent areas. 

Result

Could risks like those experienced by Singapore Airlines Flight SQ321 be reduced? Yes, with the real-time thunderstorm and turbulence detection and nowcasting of Cb-global. Cb-global provides weather hazard analyses and nowcasts in real time with details that cannot be forecast with traditional weather forecasting models. Its advanced technology offers the ability to accurately monitor and predict dangerous and dynamic convective weather conditions. This can greatly improve aviation safety by enabling pilots to decide on proactive measures in time.

Watch out: Cb-global will be soon part of Logipad EFB

Cb-global will soon be integrated into Logipad EFB, enhancing its capabilities with real-time weather information. This integration will provide pilots with timely alerts and detailed convective turbulence and thunderstorm nowcasts directly within their electronic flight bag. By combining advanced weather now–casts with flight planning tools, Logipad EFB aims to significantly improve flight safety and operational efficiency. 

• The apps will provide real-time data from The Weather Company to pilots and flight planning teams to help better predict bad weather
• This new technology will replace manually produced weather reports, and forms part of the airline’s £7bn transformation programme, as it continues to focus on increasing the use of new technology across its operation
• The technology has been developed and configured to meet the exact needs of British Airways’ extensive route network, providing benefits across its short and long-haul operations, and will be introduced ahead of the busy summer season

Thursday, 11 April 2024: British Airways will become the first UK airline to roll out two next-generation weather apps, to provide pilots and the airline’s flight planning teams access to real-time weather data, allowing them to better plan and mitigate the impact of weather on any intended flight route, in the moment.

Currently, teams rely on manually produced weather reports that are generated earlier that day. With access to the new apps, pilots and flight planning teams will be able to assess the impact of weather changes in real-time to better plan and adapt flight paths, making more operationally efficient decisions. 

The first app will give the airline’s pilots streamlined access to weather data from The Weather Company, offering comprehensive insights into weather conditions along flight paths both before departure and while in the air. Additional updates will utilise onboard Wi-Fi connectivity* to support real-time in-flight weather updates, further improving its functionality. 

The airline’s Integrated Operations Control centre – the operational hub that keeps the airline running smoothly, will also have access to an app that – in the future – will work in conjunction with the new technology available to pilots, giving them precise information on weather changes.

René de Groot, Chief Operating Officer at British Airways, said: “It’s exciting that we’ll be the first UK airline to combine the technology of both apps, which will allow us to make even better operational decisions in the moment using real-time data. These applications represent a step-change in the quality of weather information we receive, and, in the future, will enable pilots to collaborate in real-time during a flight with operational colleagues on the ground, allowing faster decision-making for a variety of issues like diversion planning and recovery.”

The technology has been developed and configured to meet the exact needs of British Airways’ extensive route network, providing benefits across its short and long-haul operations, and is being introduced ahead of the busy summer season.

This substantial investment is part of British Airways’ £7bn transformation programme, as it continues to focus on increasing the use of new technology across its operation. Earlier this year, the airline introduced a new Electronic Aircraft Maintenance (eLog) system for engineering teams, replacing a paper-based system, which allows the immediate transfer of data from the aircraft to engineers within seconds, meaning any required parts can be pre-ordered to help to resolve issues more quickly. 

Notes to editors

* Wi-Fi is available on all of the airline’s Gatwick fleet and more than 80 per cent of British Airways’ Heathrow fleet, rolling out to 100 per cent by the end of 2025.

• The app that will be used by pilots is called Guidor, provided by SkyConseil
• The app that will be used by flight planning teams is called WSI Fusion

About British Airways

As a global airline and the UK’s flag carrier, British Airways has been flying its customers to where they need to be for more than 100 years. The airline connects Britain with the world and the world with Britain, operating one of the most extensive international scheduled airline route networks together with its joint business, codeshare and franchise partners.

In September 2021, British Airways launched its sustainability programme, BA Better World, committing to put sustainability at the heart of everything it does and with a clear roadmap to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. British Airways is a founding member of the airline alliance oneworld, which serves around 1,000 destinations across the globe.

British Airways flies to destinations in more than 75 countries. Its principal place of business is London, with its main home at Heathrow Terminal 5.