Criticism of automatic flight weather service in three reports
It’s about the new measuring system that will collect future weather, wind and visibility data at the airport using digital probes. Something similar is planned for Innsbruck Airport. It should be introduced permanently, then there should be no more own flight meteorologists in place. These tasks are then to be taken over by a central office in Vienna. There one would then access the local weather data from afar and decide on this basis whether one could take off, fly and land – or not.
Basis for flight and landing planning
In spite of the jets’ state-of-the-art equipment, cockpit crews still need a certain minimum level of visibility near the ground by law in fog, low clouds or in the dark. If these do not exist, no take-offs and landings may take place.
State policy against centralization
Almost a year ago, with the votes of all parties, the Salzburg state parliament passed the vehement demand on the federal government that the aviation weather service had to be maintained in its previous form.
Things are similar in the state of Tyrol. The political demands on the Ministry of Transport have so far met with the expulsion in Vienna.
In Salzburg, the new and automated weather service system has been tried and tested since April 2022 in parallel with conventional operation. There are also direct quality comparisons. Conclusion of experts involved: The automated, remotely operated service planned for the future cannot compete with the reliability and safety when the brain of a meteorologist with precise local knowledge and a lot of experience is involved in vital decisions.
Three internal reports
The ORF now has three written reports on this – via the transport union vida – which are only intended for internal use at Austro Control. A report comes from the head of the Salzburg air traffic control center at the airport. He describes the reliability of the planned system as “insufficient”. The sensors would provide questionable data, especially in winter and in bad weather, which does not match the overall situation at the airport. For example, the natural meadows next to taxiways and the main runway are often saturated with moisture, which means that there is a little fog when it is cold. Instead, the new sensors would provide data on dense fog across the area. That would then force the entire airport to be closed – while approaching crews would have the best possible view of the runway.
Criticism also of cloud measurement
The assessment of the sensors that are supposed to measure the lower limit of the cloud layers sounds similarly critical. According to the chief pilot, the new system would not be positively influenced even by the vapor plume from a nearby industrial plant. A person on the spot can correctly interpret and report misleading data at any time and provide the flight crew with correspondingly reliable information – but not the digital system remotely controlled from Vienna.
“Economic disadvantages for Salzburg, Innsbruck”
The consequence is that if the new technology were used exclusively, many flights would have to be canceled or diverted from Salzburg or Innsbruck to Munich or Linz – with corresponding additional costs for all cases and higher fuel consumption. According to the air traffic control expert, there are also environmental issues that are time-consuming and stressful for passengers. Conclusion: “This system of remote monitoring – called Remote – is unsuitable for mountain regions. The weather data provided is not of the same quality to ensure orderly flight operations without economic disadvantages for Salzburg and Innsbruck.”
“Reliability not proven anywhere”
In another internal ACG report, which is also available to the ORF, a former leading flight weather expert from Austro Control in Vienna writes that the new and planned system should at best be seen as a prototype that is still under development. The necessary information has not been proven anywhere so far – and if you take international requirements into account: “It is an uncertain source of information, not only questionable, but also inadmissible according to the current status.”
In this assessment, the expert refers to the “EASA regulations”, which are also legally prescribed in Austria by the EU aviation authority.
Statement from a pilot
In fact, he always calls Austro Control when the conditions for flight planning are questionable, says the very experienced captain on this subject: “I’m happy when one of our Salzburg specialists is on the line on this number. What someone from Linz or Vienna can tell me from afar is very often very poor, because our regional weather in Salzburg is probably too special – in the immediate vicinity of high mountains.”
“Ultimately also safety deficiencies”
The third expertise remains – written by the flight meteorologists previously working in Salzburg to the ACG management in Vienna and also not intended for the public. It also came to light through the vida transport union. The five experts describe the previous test operation. In the past, some of them had to do their duty in Innsbruck, while also using the new system to interpret the weather data for Salzburg Airport and pass this information on to the flight crews.
Conclusion: “It is not possible to realistically assess the conditions from a distance.” During the day, with good visibility, you see few problems. It becomes impossible in clouds, fog and in the dark. The Innsbruck and Salzburg airports are surrounded by high and very high mountains and have very difficult climatic conditions compared to other European countries: “We are fulfilling our obligation to inform you as the management about these blatant quality defects and ultimately also about safety defects,” write the five meteorologists an Austro Control.
The remotely operated system cannot provide the required quality. The quintet of experts also confirmed the descriptions of the head of the Salzburg air traffic control center.
ACG management rejects criticism
The management of Austro Control responded negatively to the ORF’s request for the three internal reports. Local knowledge about the weather in Salzburg will also be communicated through intensive training courses in the new Meteorology Center in Vienna. The new system has also already proven itself in Linz. Everything becomes safer and more precise.
Specifically, the statement says: “Of course, with the help of new technologies, the highest safety and quality standards continue to be guaranteed in all weather conditions.”
In addition, according to the ACG management, the work processes and the exchange of information in the newly created Vienna Meteorology Center can be optimized.
Centralization to continue: “Very successful”
The use of modern flight weather instruments and automation are already international standards, Austro Control continued in response to the reports. Already today, wind direction, wind speed or runway visibility are automatically collected as part of an in-flight weather report. The local Salzburg know-how will continue to flow into forecasts in the future.
In the future, there will also be automation, for example when determining visibility values, weather phenomena and cloud bases: “This modernization has proven itself very well in the project implementation so far, and the changeover has been very successful.”