British Airways has announced that it will be the first UK airline to introduce two next-generation weather apps, providing pilots and flight planning teams with access to real-time weather data. The apps, developed by The Weather Company, will allow the airline to better plan and mitigate the impact of weather on flight routes, in the moment.
Currently, British Airways relies on manually produced weather reports generated earlier in the day. With the new apps, pilots and flight planning teams will be able to assess the impact of weather changes in real-time, enabling them to make more operationally efficient decisions and adapt flight paths accordingly.
The first app will provide pilots with streamlined access to comprehensive weather insights along flight paths, both before departure and while in the air. Future updates will utilize onboard Wi-Fi connectivity to support real-time in-flight weather updates, further enhancing the app’s functionality.
The airline’s Integrated Operations Control centre will also have access to an app that, in the future, will work in conjunction with the technology available to pilots, providing 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 tailored to meet the specific needs of British Airways’ extensive route network, offering benefits across both short and long-haul operations. The apps are being introduced ahead of the busy summer season as part of the airline’s £7bn transformation programme, which focuses on increasing the use of new technology across its operations.
Earlier this year, British Airways introduced a new Electronic Aircraft Maintenance (eLog) system for engineering teams, replacing a paper-based system. The eLog allows for the immediate transfer of data from the aircraft to engineers within seconds, enabling pre-ordering of required parts to resolve issues more quickly.
