Aerospace

BA introduces next-gen weather apps

Posted 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.

Image courtesy British Airways

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 BA's 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’ £7 billion 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.