World Meteorological Organization

Newsletter Issue 1/2024 (June 2024)

Jump to:

• Introduction to the new leadership of the WMO Standing Committee on Services for Aviation
• Preparation for the Aeronautical Meteorology Scientific Conference 2024 (AeroMetSci-2024)
• Outcomes of the third session of the Services Commission (SERCOM-3) and a Gender Action Day
• Highlights of the seventy-eighth session of the Executive Council (EC-78)
• Outcomes of the first meeting of the Expert Team on Weather and Climate Science for Aviation Applications (ET-WCS-1)
• WMO/UKMO Aviation Meteorology Training Seminar
• Recent publications
• Compendium of findings on effects of climate change on aviation hazards and analysis of impact to aviation operations
• AvRDP work progress and upcoming meeting
• Training Corner - Latest updates on the WMO Standing Committee on Services for Aviation (SC-AVI) Moodle training portal
• WMO and ICAO attend a GCC workshop on aeronautical meteorological services
• News from the ICAO Secretariat
• News from the WMO Secretariat
• Upcoming WMO meetings and events
• Coming up next time

Introduction to the new leadership of the WMO Standing Committee on Services for Aviation (SC-AVI)

It is a great pleasure to be introducing this newsletter as the new Chair of the Standing Committee on Services for Aviation, taking over the reigns from Ian Lisk. To assist you with getting to know the new leadership team of SC-AVI, we have each undertaken to write a short introduction on ourselves.

I work for the Bureau of Meteorology in Australia, as the National Manager of National Security and Space Operations. As such, I lead the Bureau's Defence Weather Services, the Australian Space Weather Forecasting Centre (ASWFC) and Spaceflight Operations. I have a long history of working with aviation meteorological services, having started my career as a meteorologist in 2001, and working my way through a range of opportunities which included developing the Bureau's first aviation forecasting competency framework. I am passionate about anticipating and being prepared for future change. So it's a pleasure to be working with Kaspar Bucher-Studer to co-lead the development of the revised Long-term Plan for Aeronautical Meteorology.

Over the next four years, the SC-AVI, along with its subsidiary bodies, will leverage our collective experience in aviation meteorology to deliver support to members and enhance the use of meteorology and climatology within the aviation industry.

Andrea Henderson  
Bureau of Meteorology, Australia  
Chair of WMO Standing Committee on Services for Aviation (SC-AVI)

Dear Friends, I’ve been given the honour to support some great people in the leadership of the SC-AVI for the coming WMO financial period, Andrea as Chair and Wilfred as my Co-Vice-Chair as well as the AVI Secretariat.

After many years at University, I have been working in the field of aeronautical meteorology at Switzerland's national weather service - MeteoSwiss - for more than fifteen years. In this environment, I have been able to work with customers such as air navigation services, airports, airlines, operators, air rescue services, the Air Force, etc. to amend and improve existing products and services or to develop and introduce completely new ones. An important component of this was always the implementation of and compliance with international and national regulations in collaboration with the Federal Office of Civil Aviation. In recent years, I have increasingly focussed on issues of governance, strategy and done my best to support 'smart rule making'.

Getting involved is important to me and so I am active in various working groups and expert teams of WMO, ICAO, EUMETNET, EASA and the MET Alliance. I look forward to working with you to tackle the challenges and, above all, opportunities of the ongoing transformation in service provision and to supporting you in continuing to offer customers cost-efficient and above all 'fit for purpose' services in the future.

Kaspar Bucher-Studer  
MeteoSwiss, Switzerland  
Co-Vice-Chair of WMO Standing Committee on Services for Aviation (SC-AVI)

I have the privilege of presenting myself to everyone as one of the to Co-Vice-Chairs (together with Kaspar) of the SC-AVI, providing support to the Chair (Andrea).

My journey in Meteorology began on 30 November 1999 when I joined the National Weather Service of Nigeria as a Trainee Observer via then former WMO Class IV, Class II and then Class I (Now BIP-MT and BIP-M). I am an experienced professional Meteorologist with a background in weather observations and forecasting with international exposures, demonstrated history of diligently working in the aviation industry, public weather service, air quality monitoring, MRV of greenhouse gases, numerical weather prediction, and seasonal climate predictions. More recently, I have been involved on the administrative end of meteorological operations assisting the Permanent Representative in coordinating technical activities of the national weather wervice, including international engagements.

I have had opportunities in assisting the Permanent Representatives of Nigeria in WMO activities since 2016, which include WG-SOP, RA-I MG, EC, and Congress activities and joining SC-AVI in 2021 as Thematic Coordinator for RA I on Capacity Development. I am a proud WMO Fellow and SOFF Focal Person for Nigeria.

I look forward to making our skies safe for everyone through holistic capacity development that fits into the on-going service transformation to achieve excellence on the part of aviation service providers and satisfaction on the part of customers.

Oluwaseun Wilfred Idowu  
Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Nigeria  
Co-Vice-Chair of WMO Standing Committee on Services for Aviation (SC-AVI)

Back to top

Preparation for the Aeronautical Meteorology Scientific Conference 2024 (AeroMetSci-2024)

Submitted by Stéphanie Wigniolle and Adriana Oskarsson, WMO Secretariat, in coordination with Piers Buchanan and Ping Cheung, Co-Chairs of the SC-AVI Expert Team on Weather and Climate Science for Aviation Applications (ET-WCS)

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is convening, under the auspices of the Commission for Weather, Climate, Hydrological, Marine and Related Environmental Services and Applications (SERCOM), the 2024 Aeronautical Meteorology Scientific Conference (AeroMetSci-2024). The conference will be held at the WMO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland from 21 to 25 October 2024. 

A similar Aeronautical Meteorology Scientific Conference (AeroMetSci-2017) was convened in 2017 by WMO, Météo-France and other co-sponsors, after which participants expressed a desire for WMO to conduct a similar conference within 5 years. Due to the unforeseen and unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Standing Committee on Services for Aviation (SC-AVI) of the WMO Services Commission (SERCOM) had to postpone the next (physical) AeroMetSci Conference from its initial target timeframe, 2021, to 2024.

The main objective of the conference is to showcase scientific and technological advances in meteorological observations and forecasts, expand focus on the integration of meteorological information decision-support services into the global air traffic management system, and deeply examine the impacts of climate change and variability on aviation.  
The theme of the conference is: “Aviation, weather and climate: scientific research and development for enhanced aeronautical meteorological services in a changing climate”. 

The session themes include:

• Session 1 - Science underpinning meteorological observations, nowcasting and deterministic and probabilistic forecasts
• Session 2 - Impact-based information and decision support services for aviation
• Session 3 - Science to understand the impacts of climate change on aviation and aviation environmental issues.

The conference will comprise a blend of plenary keynote presentations, national and regional case studies and panel discussions, taking into account leading scientific/academic research and aviation industry best practices and developments. Poster sessions will also take place.

An official announcement and call for abstracts was sent out on 18 April 2024:   
English | French | Spanish | Russian | Chinese | Arabic

Short abstracts for oral or poster presentations can be submitted until 21 June 2024. 

Registration for the conference should be done not later than 20 September 2024.

Further information about the conference, including the concept note, the abstract submission form and the conference registration form, can be found on the conference website.

The expected outcome of the conference will be a refinement of the common vision for scientific and technological research and development activities over the next 10 years or more aligned with the evolving needs and expectations of international civil aviation that have driven the service delivery transformation, and a further raising of awareness of the impacts of climate change and variability on aviation operations now and into the future. 

The conference will also demonstrate how the science evolution would support but also has driven the major service delivery transformation that the aeronautical meteorology community has started and will continue facing with in the coming decade. 

Outputs of the conference will include a set of recommendations and a statement to guide domestic, regional and/or global strategies on scientific and technological advancement in support of meteorological service for international civil aviation. The proceedings of the conference will be published as a WMO Publication comprising scientific articles, presentations, etc. to ensure outreach to all interested stakeholders. 

Back to top

Outcomes of the third session of the Services Commission (SERCOM-3) and a Gender Action Day

Submitted by Greg Brock, WMO Secretariat

From 4 to 9 March 2024, WMO convened a third session of its Commission for Weather, Climate, Hydrological, Marine and Related Environmental Services and Applications (Services Commission or SERCOM) in Bali, Indonesia. A one-day Gender Action Day was held at the same location on 7 March 2024, just prior to International Women’s Day 2024. The SERCOM-3 session brought together technical experts from WMO Member States and Territories and relevant international organizations, including the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), to discuss and to set direction for the coordinated development of international standards, recommended practices, procedures and good practices linked to service delivery, including as these relate to the UN Early Warning for All (EW4All) initiative. 

Insofar as aeronautical meteorology and services for aviation are concerned, SERCOM-3 gave its endorsement to the recommendations and statement arising from the Eighth International Workshop on Volcanic Ash (IWVA-8) held in Rotorua, New Zealand in 2023. These recommendations and statement were then submitted to WMO’s Executive Council in June 2024 for endorsement (read article on EC-78 outcomes below). SERCOM-3 also approved a 2025 update to Aerodrome Reports and Forecasts: A Users’ Handbook to the Codes (WMO-No. 782). In addition, the Standing Committee on Services for Aviation (SC-AVI) was re-established by SERCOM-3 for a new four-year term together with a new SC-AVI leadership team comprising Andrea Henderson (Australia) as chair and Kaspar Bucher-Studer (Switzerland) and Oluwaseun Wilfred Idowu (Nigeria) as co-vice-chairs, as highlighted in the Foreword above. 

A side-event on the impacts on Members of service delivery transformation in aeronautical meteorology was held on the opening day of SERCOM-3. The well-attended side-event highlighted the challenges Members are already facing or that they may face in the coming years in the transition from traditional products to contemporary information services as well as the opportunities that such changes are or should offer. Additional information on the side-event, including a copy of a keynote presentation and summary of a panel  discussion, is available here. 

During the Gender Action Day, participants were treated to an inspiring series of presentations and real-world demonstrations linked to advancing women’s leadership in emergency preparedness and response, disaster risk reduction and early warning services. Inspirational women involved in the EW4All initiative in Indonesia shared insight of the challenges encountered in the implementation of gender-responsive programmes linked to multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS) and good practices. Indeed, inspired by the Gender Action Day, SERCOM-3 took decisions to mainstream gender-responsive and inclusive MHEWS through the EW4All initiative as well as weather, climate, hydrological and marine services more broadly. More details on the outcomes of the Gender Action Day are available here.

Towards the end of SERCOM-3, Members re-elected Mr Ian Lisk (United Kingdom) as president and elected three new co-vice presidents, namely Mr Raymond Tanabe (United States of America), Ms Angela Corina (Italy) and Mr Ardhasena Sopaheluwakan (Indonesia) [pictured]. SERCOM-3 also approved a new work programme of the Commission for the next four years.

Back to top

Highlights of the seventy-eighth session of the Executive Council (EC-78)

Submitted by Greg Brock, WMO Secretariat

The seventy-eighth session of the Executive Council (EC-78) took place at WMO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland from 10 to 14 June 2024. The Executive Council coordinates programmes, manages the budget, considers and acts on resolutions and recommendations from the regional associations and technical commissions, and studies and makes recommendations on matters affecting international meteorology and related activities. And, in this connection, EC-78 formulated numerous resolutions and decisions of its own plus recommendations that will be submitted to the World Meteorological Congress for consideration. Highlights of EC-78 are available here.

In respect of aeronautical meteorology and services for aviation, EC-78 endorsed the recommendations and statement arising from the Eighth International Workshop on Volcanic Ash (IWVA-8), which was convened by WMO in Rotorua, New Zealand in February 2023. As reported last year in Newsletter Issue 1/2023 (read article here), IWVA-8 addressed aviation industry needs, recent developments as well as upcoming challenges and opportunities for volcano observatories and meteorological services, and the next-generation of volcanic hazard services for aviation.

Back to top

Outcomes of the first meeting of the Expert Team on Weather and Climate Science for Aviation Applications (ET-WCS-1)

Submitted by Stéphanie Wigniolle, WMO Secretariat, in coordination with Piers Buchanan and Ping Cheung, Co-Chairs of the SC-AVI Expert Team on Weather and Climate Science for Aviation Applications (ET-WCS)

The SC-AVI Expert Team on Weather and Climate Science for Aviation Applications (ET-WCS) held its first meeting from 16 to 18 April 2024 at WMO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. It was the first meeting of ET-WCS since the merger of two former science-focused expert teams of SC-AVI, namely the Expert Team on the Impact of Climate Change and Variability on Aviation (ET-CCV) and the Expert Team on Aeronautical Meteorological Hazards Science (ET-MHS) (more information on the merging here). 

After a quick review of the outcomes and lessons learned from the two scientific webinar series (2022 on convection, 2023 on turbulence and icing), ET-WCS-1 devoted major attention to the arrangements for the 2024 Aeronautical Meteorology Scientific (AeroMetSci-2024) Conference, to be held from 21 to 25 October 2024 at the WMO Headquarters. Experts discussed a provisional order of business, content of each of the three thematic sessions, and initiated the identification of moderators for oral presentation sessions and panel discussions. More information on the preparation of AeroMetSci-2024 is available here.

ET-WCS-1 also considered  the work progress status of Phase 2 of the Aviation Research and Development project (AvRDP2) and plans for trials and experiments to be conducted in the second half of 2024 and in 2025. In this context, experts are currently working on engaging aviation users in these trials for, amongst other purposes, verification and validation of nowcast products.

The other major agenda item of ET-WCS-1 concerned the finalization of a report on the effects of climate change on aviation weather hazards and extreme events, and their potential impact on aviation operations. The report is expected to be published by WMO in the second half of 2024, as part of the Aeronautical Meteorology Series of publications. The experts also extensively discussed opportunities for communication and promotion of the report and ways to provide meaningful, understandable advice to aviation stakeholders on the potential impact of climate change on aviation operations.

The working documentation of ET-WCS-1 and the final report of the meeting are available here.

Back to top

WMO/UKMO Aviation Meteorology Training Seminar

Submitted by Greg Brock, WMO Secretariat

WMO and the United Kingdom Met Office are delighted to announce that, after several years hiatus due to the impacts of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic, they will resume the conducting of in-person aviation meteorology training seminars. (Note, online training seminars were held in 2021 and 2022 in lieu of in-person training seminars.) 

The 2024 WMO/UKMO Aviation Meteorology Training Seminar will be held at the kind invitation of the South African Weather Service (SAWS) at their premises in Pretoria, South Africa from 30 September to 4 October 2024. The 2024 training seminar will focus on aviation hazards and SIGMETs and is intended mainly for observers and forecasters working operationally in aeronautical meteorology. 

WMO’s official announcement was issued to Permanent Representatives of WMO Members on 4 June 2024, with a closing date for applicant nominations of 5 July 2024. See announcement and other information available here: English | French | Spanish | Russian | Arabic

Limited financial support for travel and/or subsistence will be available to selected participants especially from least developed countries and small island developing States (LDC/SIDS). Note, the workshop is only open to receiving applications from Africa, Europe and the western half of Asia. There are approximately 20-25 in-person places available, with preference given to applicants from LDCs and SIDS and with due consideration to gender balance and expertise.

Back to top

Recent publications

Submitted by Greg Brock, WMO Secretariat

WMO is pleased to announce that a new 2023 edition of the Guide to Services for Aviation (WMO-No. 732) was published in March 2024. The Guide provides an overview of aeronautical meteorological services and is available here on the WMO-Library in English and with other languages to follow. It covers topics that include the governance of service provision, interactions between service providers and aviation users and other stakeholders, the framework and structure behind the service provision, and the production and delivery of observations, forecasts and other information to aviation users.

Note, the 2023 edition of WMO-No. 732 represents a major update and, in fact, a complete replacement of the preceding 2003 edition titled the Guide to Practices for Meteorological Offices Serving Aviation. 

Access to the 2023 edition of WMO-No. 732 and numerous other publications of relevance to aeronautical meteorology is available via the WMO Services for Aviation website here.

In February 2024, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) published a 2023 (60th) edition of its annual Safety Report. In recent years WMO has been actively assisting IATA in the review and classification of aviation incidents and accidents, including those where weather/meteorological conditions were a leading or contributory cause, with a view to helping the industry reduce the accident rate and the fatality risk through improved aeronautical meteorological products and services. 

The 2023 Safety Report, available here in an interactive online format, includes in-depth review and analysis of accidents and global and regional aviation statistics. Weather/meteorological conditions – notably thunderstorms, low-level wind shear and hail – as well as unnecessary weather penetration and contaminated runway conditions featured in 2023 accidents classified by IATA, including those that resulted in in-flight damage, runway excursions and overruns, hard-landings and tail-strikes. While weather-related accidents did not (thankfully) result in a loss of life in 2023, they all resulted in economic losses for the aviation industry through damage to the aircraft. 

To reduce safety risk within the industry, on the ground and in the air, aeronautical meteorological services worldwide need to ensure that they provide high-quality, reliable, timely products and services that conform to international standards set by organizations including ICAO and WMO.  

Back to top

Compendium of findings on effects of climate change on aviation hazards and analysis of impact to aviation operations

Submitted by Stéphanie Wigniolle, WMO Secretariat, in consultation with Piers Buchanan (Met Office, UK) and Ping Cheung (Hong Kong Observatory), Co-Chairs of ET-WCS

The environmental footprint of the aviation sector has been a well-known concern for some decades and tremendous efforts are ongoing to reduce it, for example through optimized flight trajectories that can reduce flight time and fuel burn and reduce or prevent the formation of contrails/aviation-induced cirrus. However, the other side of the story is equally noteworthy. It is important to recognize that climate change, often manifesting through more frequent, more intense weather events, sometimes in locations that are different to the ‘norm’, also has a profound impact on the aviation industry. Increasingly frequent extreme weather events and hazardous conditions such as a tropical cyclones can disrupt the operations of airports and air spaces locally but with wider knock-on ‘network effects’ regionally and sometimes globally.

With WMO’s support, the aeronautical meteorology community is working towards strengthening its support to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and other aviation industry partners to help their efforts to adapt, mitigate, and build resilience, as a response to a changing climate. This can be, for example, through the supply of best available scientific advice on the effects of climate change and potential impacts on aviation, potentially downscaled to the regional, national or local level (if or when possible).

In 2020, the Standing Committee on Services for Aviation (SC-AVI) conducted a global survey on the impacts of climate change and variability on aviation with an aim to clarifying the interest and concerns of aviation professionals around the world. The findings of this survey were published by WMO as AeM SERIES No. 6.

As a follow-up of the 2020 survey and on the basis of its main results, the SC-AVI Expert Team on Weather and Climate Science for Aviation Applications (ET-WCS) has consolidated into a report the findings of the latest assessments on effects of climate change and variability on weather hazards and extreme events, and consequential impacts on aviation e.g.:

• changes in jet-stream location and strength with impacts on flight route efficiency; 
• changes in turbulence location and intensity especially clear-air turbulence;
• changes in convection and associated hazards, both with impacts on flight safety;
• effects of warmer temperature with impacts on airport and aircraft operations, including degraded take-off performance; and 
• changes in the frequency and intensity of high impact weather events such as tropical cyclones. 

This report will incorporate recent research and publications up to early 2024. 

Additionally, a website has been created to provide access to a list of collected literature on related subjects; most of this literature have been analysed by ET-WCS for the edition of the report. 

Admittedly, some subjects have proven to be less documented than others. As an example, the effect of a changing climate on en-route icing has not been deeply analysed yet and, as a consequence, only limited literature on this topic is available. 

On the other hand, a lot of scientific research and development has shown that some aviation weather hazards, such as en route turbulence and convection, have changed due to global warming and the impact of this change on aviation operations has been visible. In addition to the aforementioned weather hazards, the report on findings also looks at the effect of climate change on tropopause, low level wind shear, sandstorm and dust storm, fog, freezing precipitation and sea level rise.

The 2024 edition of the report on findings on effects of climate change and potential impacts on aviation will be published by WMO as AeM-SERIES No. 9. ET-WCS intends to update the report on findings in the coming few years by expanding existing sections with new research results, including results downscaled to the regional level (if available) and/or adding sections for weather hazards not yet considered but for which interest of the aviation industry is growing.

SC-AVI is now considering opportunities for communicating and promoting the report on findings, as part of the scientific advice provided by WMO to support ICAO and other aviation stakeholders to adapt to a changing climate and mitigate its impact on aviation.

Back to top

AvRDP work progress and upcoming meeting

Submitted by Stéphanie Wigniolle, WMO Secretariat, in coordination with Dr Piers Buchanan and Dr Chris Davis, co-chairs of AvRDP2 SSC

AvRDP2 is the second phase (2021-2025) of an Aviation Research and Development Project, a project of the World Weather Research Program (WWRP), led by the WMO Research Board (RB) with the support of SERCOM/SC-AVI. AvRDP2 focuses on scientific advancement and capacity development in observation, forecasting and warning of significant convection and associated hazards. It aims at demonstrating benefits of a gate-to-gate use of this advanced aeronautical meteorological information in the aviation operations environment. More information about AvRDP2 can be found here. The AvRDP2 Scientific Steering Committee (SSC) is now preparing its third meeting (AvRDP2-SSC-3), which will be kindly hosted by the Met Office, at its premises in Exeter, UK, on 16-18 September 2024.

AvRDP2-SSC-3 will be informed about the most recent developments and results of a study conducted by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) in collaboration with the Hong Kong Observatory on convection-induced turbulence (CIT) associated with significant convection. 

The main focus of AvRDP2-SSC-3 will be on monitoring work progress over the two air routes chosen by the SSC at its first meeting in 2022 , namely London to Johannesburg and Hong Kong to Singapore. In addition to the already developed innovative products and applications , AvRDP2-SSC-3 will review progress made in terms of blending nowcast products for an end-to-end nowcast prototype product for the London-Johannesburg route and the use of ensemble systems and probabilistic forecast information for the Hong Kong-Singapore route. The preparation for trials and experiments expected to be conducted in the second half of 2024 and in 2025 will be investigated. For this purpose, SSC members are exploring effective engagement with several categories of aviation users, especially those directly involved in the safe conduct of flights such as pilots and air traffic controllers. Feedback from aviation users will be beneficial for the verification and validation phase of the project that the SSC is preparing for both routes. A plan for verification will be considered at AvRDP2-SSC-3.

Back to top

Training Corner - Latest updates on the WMO Standing Committee on Services for Aviation (SC-AVI) Moodle training portal

Submitted by Kathy-Ann Caesar and Karine Dumas, Co-Chairs of the SC-AVI Expert Team on Education, Training and Competency (ET-ETC)

The Moodle training portal maintained by the SC-AVI Expert Team on Education, Training, and Competency (ET-ETC) is going through a few changes to continue to provide the WMO Committee, meteorologists, observers, and service providers with all the training resources they may need.

What's new

Over the last 6 months, the  Competency Assessment Toolkit (CAT) has been successfully added to the site.  The CAT is designed to provide a framework for demonstrating the competence of Aeronautical Meteorological Observers (AMO) and Aeronautical Meteorological Forecasters (AMF). 

The newly published 2023 edition of the Guide to the Implementation of Education and Training Standards in Meteorology and Hydrology (WMO-No.1083) is now available.

Did you miss it?

Links to the latest Aviation Meteorology conferences including the presentations, and recordings from the RA IV Aviation Workshop 2023 can now be found on our "Conferences, Workshops and Other events" page.

Look out for it

Improvements are coming! Over the next few months, the ET-ETC will be further updating the Moodle training portal to improve accessibility and make the site is more user-friendly while continuing to maintain a ‘one-stop shop’ for all relevant information related to aeronautical meteorological personnel and aeronautical meteorological service providers. Have no fear, the site will remain active as we work towards the restructuring of the Moodle training portal. Please get in touch with us via the WMO Secretariat (aviation@wmo.int) if you have any suggestions on future upgrades we can make.

Back to top

WMO and ICAO attend a GCC workshop on aeronautical meteorological services

Submitted by Greg Brock, WMO Secretariat

The Secretariat of World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) were kindly invited to attend a workshop on meteorological services for the safety of air navigation in the countries of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), which took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on 21 and 22 May 2024. 

The GCC is a regional, intergovernmental, political and economic union comprising Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Aeronautical meteorology is one of the many domains of interest to GCC countries. 

The aim of the workshop was to introduce current best practices of aeronautical meteorological services and to exchange expertise and experience in this field among the GCC countries. The workshop targeted observers, forecasters and service managers working at aeronautical meteorological services. Approximately 20 delegates attended the workshop in-person and online.

Mr Greg Brock, Head, Services for Aviation, WMO delivered a keynote presentation on aeronautical meteorological services, which covered, inter alia, the role played by WMO in the regulatory framework of international civil aviation, the relevance of key service delivery enablers such as quality management, personnel competency and cost recovery, and the availability of resources to support aeronautical meteorological service providers involved in implementation. Meanwhile, Mr Jun Ryuzaki, Technical Officer (Meteorology), ICAO delivered a keynote presentation on ICAO’s Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP) and its aviation system block upgrades (ASBU) methodology, the development of international standards as well as major ongoing developments in aeronautical meteorology linked to GANP/ASBU and the challenges and opportunities these developments present to aeronautical meteorological service providers in the Middle East and elsewhere.

The workshop was declared a success, with participants having benefitted from the valuable insights given by WMO and ICAO as well as the interactive nature of the workshop which allows exchanges of views and a sharing of experiences among the aeronautical meteorological service providers of the GCC countries in attendance. Further workshops may be convened by the GCC Secretariat-General.

Back to top

News from the ICAO Secretariat

Submitted by Jun Ryuzaki, Technical Officer, Meteorology, ICAO

Article will appear here. Please come back soon.

Back to top

News from the WMO Secretariat

Submitted by Greg Brock, Head, Services for Aviation, WMO

In January 2024, WMO’s new Secretary-General, Prof. Celeste Saulo (Argentina) commenced a four-year term as the executive head of the Organization, having been elected by WMO Members during the nineteenth World Meteorological Congress in May/June 2023. Prior to her appointment as Secretary-General, Prof. Saulo was the Director of the National Meteorological Service of Argentina (Servicio Meteorológico Nacional) and she was the first Vice-President of WMO. Prof. Saulo brings a wealth of experience on the national and international stages, and she intends to guide WMO towards its vision of a world where all nations, especially the most vulnerable, are more resilient to extreme weather, climate, water and other environmental events. 

In addition, WMO has recently welcomed a new Deputy Secretary-General, Ms Ko Barrett (United States of America), and a new Assistant Secretary-General, Mr Thomas Asare (Ghana). Prior to their WMO appointments, Ms Barrett was Senior Advisor for Climate at NOAA and Mr Asare was a Director of Financial and Administrative Management at UNICEF.

The Services for Aviation Division within the WMO Secretariat is looking forward to working closely and collaboratively with the new WMO Executive Management in the pursuit of the priorities of the Organization and the needs of Members in the aeronautical meteorology domain.

Back to top

Upcoming WMO meetings and events

Note: All information given here is subject to change.

• WMO and United Kingdom Met Office Aviation Meteorology Training Seminar 2024 (announcement here), in collaboration with the South African Weather Service, 30 September to 4 October 2024, Pretoria, South Africa
• Aeronautical Meteorology Scientific Conference 2024 (AeroMetSci-2024), 21-25 October 2024, Geneva, Switzerland
• 2024 Writing Workshop of the Task Team on the Long-term Plan for Aeronautical Meteorology (TT-LTP-2024), 28-30 October 2024, Geneva, Switzerland

Back to top

Coming up next time...

In the next issue of the newsletter readers can look forward to:

• Highlights of the Aviation Meteorology Training Seminar 2024, AeroMetSci-2024 and the TT-LTP Writing Workshop 2024
• Plans and preparations for AG-VSA-2, ET-ETC-3 and SC-AVI-4 in 2025
• Preparations for an Extraordinary Session of the Services Commission in 2025 (SERCOM-Ext. (2025))

...and more!

Back to top

CLICK HERE to read previous newsletters

CLICK HERE to return to our homepage