SCOTS airline Loganair has joined forces with the Met Office and FLYHT Aerospace Solutions to reduce the environmental impact of flying.
The new partnership will see Loganair’s fleet fitted with FLYHT-WVSS-II atmospheric water vapour sensors to measure weather data for the Met Office.
Readings are set to improve weather-based flight planning and real-time updates, helping the Met Office better predict extreme weather events.
A key benefit of the initiative is its potential to increase understanding of the non-CO2 effects of aviation, which are estimated to contribute to around 48% of the environmental impact of flying.
Adverse weather presents one of the biggest challenges for aircraft operations and can disrupt flights as well as ground-crew operations.
Loganair’s partnership with the Met Office and FLYHT Aerospace Solutions aims to improve the accuracy of forecasts and reduce flight emissions.
Newly fitted sensors will monitor environmental conditions around the aircraft during flight, gathering meteorological information via the Embraer 145 fleet which flies the airline’s unique UK routes daily.
Improved weather observations will enable the aircraft’s avoidance of severe weather and turbulence, as well as improve local forecasting for thunderstorms, fog, and showers.
The initiative will also help airlines understand the formation and potential reduction of contrails, the ice clouds trailed behind a flying aircraft, which has been identified as a sustainability goal within the airline industry.
Loganair chief executive Jonathan Hinkles said: “Loganair is resolutely committed to achieving Net Zero emissions by 2040.
“This partnership signifies our dedication to confronting the environmental challenges posed by aviation head-on.
“As the project progresses, we anticipate groundbreaking insights into weather patterns, contrail formation, and their cumulative effects on the environment.
“Equipped with this knowledge, Loganair hopes to drive further transformative change within the industry and to continue setting an example for sustainable aviation practices.”
Murray Skelton, FLYHT’s VP Business Development and Weather, added: “We look forward to installing our FLYHT-WVSS-ll hardware on Loganair’s aircraft over the coming months and to providing end-to-end program project maintenance and support for this innovative program.”
Met Office Associate Director of Technical Services, Bruce Truscott, said: “I am delighted to be working with FLYHT and Loganair to further improve our ability to observe and forecast the weather.”
