Space weather effects on aircraft operations - An introductory overview

European airlines are now monitoring occupational exposure of aircrew to cosmic radiation, but the impacts of SW on other systems used for day-to-day operations are not considered. Future civil and military aircraft will use increasingly complex avionics and will operate in a satellite-based air-space management network. However, to maximise effectiveness of this globally interoperable system and maintain safe operations will require a greater understanding of the SW risks with increasing technology. This chapter describes the SW effects on aircraft operations and includes brief details of an ESA project to quantify those risks.