March 27, 2026
How much does weather forecasting matter in aviation?
Consider this:
- Poor weather conditions are responsible for 70% of the delays in the National Airspace System (NAS)
- Weather is a contributing factor in 29% of Part 135 aviation accidents
- It’s a contributing factor in 41% of fatal aircraft accidents; 49% of those are due to low visibility
“Weather has an outsized impact on all our operations. Proactive planning gives you options,” said John Kosak, CAM, during a standing-room only session at the 2026 NBAA Schedulers and Dispatchers Conference (SDC2026). “It gives you the opportunity to collaborate with the crew and passengers.
Kosak was joined in the session by panelists Jenny Brown and Mitch Scott, all with Flexjet.
The panelists shared numerous free tools that attendees can use in their operations, some starting as far as four days out from a trip, up to the day of the flight.
Some of the helpful sites they mentioned were:
Also, they mentioned, the FAA has multiple public sites that allow flight planners to build expectations about how the day’s traffic will be managed, including the following:
Additionally, NBAA Air Traffic Services operates from the floor of the FAA’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center to ensure equitable access to airports and airspace in the daily management of the NAS.
NBAA currently is one of only three non-FAA organizations invited to staff positions inside the ATCSCC. Learn more about NBAA ATS.
Panelists agreed the key is to be proactive versus reactive.
“Knowing what weather will be impactful, where it is going and when it’s going to be the most impactful can help us in the decision-making process,” they emphasized. “It allows us to be proactive and ensure our passengers, crew and aircraft are safe and that we are contributing to the overall mission of providing the best service.”