Air France Airbus Disaster
Geoff Love, Director WMO Talks to the Media
Geoff Love, WMO Director responsible for the Aeronautical Meteorology Programme, fielded questions from the media today about the Aircraft Meteorological Data Relay (AMDAR) programme in the wake of the Air France accident.
He clarified that AMDAR is not designed for en-route decision-making. AMDAR comprises modern sensors, computers and communications systems on board aircraft that, in the course of their customary activities, collect, process, format and transmit meteorological and environmental data to ground stations via satellite or radio links. Once received on the ground, the data are relayed to the global network of National Meteorological Services and other authorized users and incorporated in meteorological forecasts that are used by commercial, military and private aircraft some hours after the observations are taken. Some 3 000 commercial aircraft, as well as some military and private aircraft, participate in AMDAR