Observations for aviation

MeteoSwiss is responsible for flight safety from a meteorological perspective and makes an important contribution to aviation safety with its meteorological readings. The high volume of air traffic today would be unthinkable without precise knowledge of the current weather situation. To ensure that planes are able to take off, MeteoSwiss employees monitor the weather conditions at the airports in Zurich and Geneva around the clock. As well as visual observations, which still remain important, a range of specific measuring devices is used. These include ceilometers for determining cloud layers, transmissometers for measuring visibility, and various sensors for determining the current weather. In addition to the international airports in Geneva and Kloten, these instruments are also used at regional airports. The information collected by these instruments is used to create reports for pilots and air traffic control.