Enhanced weather information for air traffic controllers using comprehensive sensor and data assimilation procedures

Up to 60% of all delays in aviation are related to weather. Consequently, the quality and availability of meteorological information has a major economic impact on all stakeholders in the aviation system. However, the wide variety of critical weather phenomena such as heavy thunderstorms (including strong wind and wind shear), lightning, turbulence, sleet, hail and snow poses still a challenge to detection technologies, requiring a variety of different observation sensors to provide integrated information to the operational decision-makers in ATC. This paper gives an introductional overview about recent dual polarization weather radar technologies with respect to the potential to enhance the information content for air traffic controllers. Furthermore other relevant sensors sources such as netted dual polarization weather radars, radiosondes and their possible combination with LLWAS systems are described in brief. The possibility to generate classified sensor combination products in the Eurocontrol Asterix format (all purpose structured eurocontrol surveillance information exchange) will be presented.