South Africa’s Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) has introduced a groundbreaking aviation training that aims to reduce the impacts of solar activities on the aviation sector.
South Africa’s Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS) Aviation Training Academy (ATA), in partnership with the South African National Space Agency (SANSA), has launched an innovative new space weather training programme that helps to understand and mitigate the effects of solar activity on the aviation industry.
There are various measures that role-players in the aviation sector can use to enhance efficiencies.
This ranges from next-generation aircraft, using cleaner fuels, more efficient operations and better use of airspace.
AIR TRAFFIC AND NAVIGATION SERVICES PROGRAMME
The five-day training programme, titled An Introduction to Space Weather for Aviation Personnel, was officially launched on 18 March 2024 at the country’s ATA facility.
The launch coincided with the graduation of the first cohort of 10 students from the programme.
Aligned with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) global aviation safety initiatives, the new programme is designed to create awareness and prepare aviation personnel to appropriately respond to adverse space weather conditions.
Moreover, climate change is wreaking havoc on the planet’s weather systems. This in turn impacts the aviation sector and other areas of the economy.
CLIMATE CHANGE
ATNS states in a press release that the new training is essential because climate and environmental changes are impacting global economies.
The aviation landscape is no exception. It is increasingly becoming prone to the effects of space weather due to the greater use and continued miniaturisation of microelectronics.
This is in addition to the growing reliance on signals from satellite-based aviation navigation systems.
SPACE WEATHER TRAINING
In aviation terms, space weather refers to the state of the atmosphere and conditions in space, such as solar wind, magnetosphere, ionosphere, and thermosphere.
As a result, such conditions may influence the performance and reliability of space and ground-based aviation-related technological systems.
“Awareness and preparation for eventualities like solar storms and mass coronal ejections has become critical in our industry.”
ATNS Chief Executive Officer, Ms Nozipho Mdawe
