ICAO develops new tools against volcanic dust

On June 27, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) announced a series of new tools that greatly reduce the impact of volcanic dust on future international aviation activities.

>>> Atype of radar capable of detecting volcanic ash

These new tools are the result of a study of the International Volcanic Dust Task Force, which ICAO established after the volcanic eruption in Iceland, caused an international air transport congestion in April 2010.

These tools include a new publication that guides aviation activities in volcanic dust situations; a case study of emergency flight plan handling in volcanic dust and recommendations on new technologies and system requirements required for ground-based volcanic dust detection systems, aircraft and on satellites.

Iceland volcanic dust

ICAO Secretary General, Raymond Benjamin, pointed out that the unexpected challenges of the volcanic eruption in Iceland in 2010 are an important opportunity for the global aviation community to strengthen collective scientific knowledge, as well as the Reaction coordinated international aviation operation against volcanic dust, whether volcanoes operate anywhere, anytime in the world.

The volcanic eruption in Iceland has severely disrupted international air operations since the Second World War. This disruption shows the vulnerability of the previous modern aviation system. natural disasters, but also promote the international aviation industry to accelerate scientific research to find ways to overcome this challenge.

Airlines, airports, air transport service providers, air traffic control agencies and international aircraft manufacturers and global trade associations actively contributed to resources and intellectual resources into this effort.

ICAO experts affirmed with new tools, if the volcanic eruption occurred today, although there are still many challenges, but the international aviation industry will certainly handle much better than in April 2010. Efforts to establish proper balance between safety and regularity of international aviation activities in the case of active volcanoes must still be promoted and ICAO is committed to strengthening these efforts. Studies on the concentration of volcanic dust, volcanic information management and monitoring as well as studies of new methods of detecting carbon dioxide in the atmosphere also need to be promoted in the near future.