Results of the space weather and aviation impact assessment survey

Kurzfassung

Space weather phenomena, which impact navigation and communication systems of our modern technological infrastructure, can influence flight operations affecting safety or efficiency of aviation. This study investigates these impacts with a comprehensive survey of industry professionals including 13 pilots. The results indicate that a significant amount of participants is familiar with space weather, but that specific impacts and potential risks are less understood. The results also show that communication between aviation stakeholders and space weather service providers in particular is perceived as lacking. This in turn has a negative impact on other issues, such as finding and using appropriate space weather services already in operation. The implications are discussed, highlighting a need for better communication between space weather service providers and aviation stakeholders, better space weather risk awareness, more in-depth space weather training and protocols as well as application-oriented space weather services. Thus, actionable instructions are provided to strengthen aviation's resilience to space weather events and to ensure dependable systems.