Policy Recommendations for Enhanced Resilience of Aviation due to Extreme Volcanic Ash Eruptions

This study researches progress after the Eyjafjallajökull volcanic eruption in 2010, as significant regulatory changes have been introduced to improve European and North Atlantic aviation risk management with regards to volcanic ash. In the study, stakeholders were invited to a participatory workshop to deal with extreme but realistic volcanic eruption scenarios and to discuss obstacles in the general management of aviation during volcanic ash eruptions as well as under extreme eruption scenarios. This paper presents recommendations developed from the workshop. A more comprehensive long-term contingency plan that includes alternative transport if aircraft are grounded is important to strengthen society’s resilience. Response exercises need to be more challenging than presently to drive stakeholders out of their comfort zone. Staff availability during long duration events needs improvement, e.g., with staff exchange between related agencies. It is recommended that staff be trained for accelerated demands and restructured tasks during a crisis that can last for months. A single point of information for stakeholders could help manage and reduce confusion due to large amounts of information from scattered sources. Added public awareness of events in progress is recommended. Communication products, such as maps, must be better aligned with end-user needs, and a way to represent uncertainty of data needs to be researched. Funding for research on the impact of ash on jet engines is needed since lack of knowledge there limits the benefits of advances in ash forecasting. The now varying Self Risk Assessment regulation need to be coordinated across nations.

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• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee AV010 Standing Committee on Intergovernmental Relations in Aviation.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Reichardt, Uta
  • Ulfarsson, Gudmundur F
  • Pétursdóttir, Guðrún
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 96th Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC, United States
  • Date: 2017-1-8 to 2017-1-12
• Date: 2017

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Maps; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 16p
• Monograph Title: TRB 96th Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aviation; Disaster resilience; Forecasting; Policy; Recommendations; Risk management; Stakeholders; Volcanic ash; Volcanic eruptions; Workshops
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Planning and Forecasting; Policy; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01622493
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 17-04659
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Jan 17 2017 9:35AM