Vaisala Runway Weather Applications

Airport authorities face a unique set of pressures. If ice forms on the runways, de-icing activities can cause costly delays and reduce revenues. It can take up to four times more de-icer to remove ice once it has formed than it takes to prevent ice from being formed at all. Vaisala offers solutions to help in making the right decisions when hazardous weather threatens airport operations. For example, when anti-icing materials are applied to runways and taxiways at exactly the right times, safety is ensured and costs are reduced.

Vaisala's product range for runway ice detection and prediction begins with our patented sensor technology, which provides accurate measurement of surface temperature, state and the effectiveness of anti-icing materials (depression of freezing point). Our Thermal Mapping service is excellent for locating ROSA weather stations and pavement sensors in the right places. It also provides a solid foundation for airport-wide forecasting of pavement surface temperature with IceCast. IceCast collects, processes and displays (IceView) pavement and atmospheric data. Finally, Vaisala NowCasting and 24-hour Forecasting give the advance warning needed to treat runways and taxiways before problems surface.