Düsseldorf Airport Improves Technological Alerts for Thunderstorms
Düsseldorf Airport is set to introduce a new sensor system from early August, aimed at improving safety and reducing delays caused by thunderstorms and lightning. The system will be a welcome addition to the existing technology at the airport, serving as a valuable tool for managing weather-related operational disruptions.
The new sensor system, which includes field mill sensors, will measure the electrical field strength in the atmosphere in real-time. These sensors, already in use at other airports, are particularly effective at detecting increasing tension in the air before the first lightning strike. By providing early warnings of developing lightning activity, air traffic controllers and operations staff can anticipate thunderstorm hazards more accurately.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, over 19,000 lightning strikes were recorded by the ALDIS/BLIDS lightning information service in 2024, with over 9,800 strikes recorded by July of this year. Thunderstorms and lightning pose unique challenges for airports, endangering staff safety, damaging equipment, and impacting flight punctuality and passenger travel plans.
The measurements from the field mill sensors, along with data from weather and lightning information services, will be visually presented through a central system to the Airport Duty Management. If a thunderstorm approaches the airport, coordinated measures will be taken to orderly suspend operations. During such instances, outdoor activities on the apron, such as refueling, loading, and pushing back aircraft, as well as boarding and disembarking at positions without passenger bridges, must be stopped.
To ensure all staff can react in time, a comprehensive optical and acoustic warning system will be installed throughout the apron. In addition, three field mill sensors have been installed around the runways, and a warning system for increased lightning danger will activate at all aircraft positions. Warning lights and audio signals will be installed at all aircraft positions for increased lightning danger.
Christoph Müller, Airport Duty Manager at Düsseldorf Airport, states that during thunderstorms, decisions regarding operations need to be made quickly. This new technology will allow for more targeted control of weather-related operational disruptions and reduce delays or flight cancellations at Düsseldorf Airport.
In the next expansion stage, the technology at Düsseldorf Airport will be further supplemented with a comprehensive optical and acoustic warning system. This will ensure that the airport remains at the forefront of safety and efficiency in managing weather-related operational disruptions.
The new sensor system, which includes field mill sensors, will not only provide real-time measurements of the electrical field strength in the atmosphere but also detect increasing tension before a lightning strike, helping air traffic controllers to anticipate thunderstorm hazards more accurately.
By visually presenting measurements from the field mill sensors, along with data from weather and lightning information services, through a central system to the Airport Duty Management, decisions regarding operation disruptions due to thunderstorms can be made swiftly, reducing potential delays or cancellations, and ensuring the airport remains efficient in managing environmental-science factors like weather and technology.
