The impact of weather conditions on air transport is obvious to any passenger: what frequent flyer has never been confronted with patches of turbulence or delays due to bad weather conditions? This simple observation merely confirms that the atmosphere is alive with extremely varied, fleeting phenomena to which aircraft must adapt. It is important to take a closer look at these meteorological phenomena, draw up a list and examine their consequences.

A conference on “Air Traffic and Meteorology” was organised by the Air and Space Academy with the aim of bringing together international specialists from aviation meteorology and air traffic control and operations. This dossier presents a summary of the information exchanged and the ensuing conclusions.