EUNADICS-AV · Project

Real-Time Airborne Hazard Monitoring to Keep European Aviation Flying Safely

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Remember when that Icelandic volcano erupted in 2010 and flights across Europe were grounded for days? The problem was nobody had a reliable, continent-wide system to track exactly where the ash cloud was and how thick it was in real time. This project built a monitoring and alert system that pulls together satellite data, ground sensors, and aircraft instruments to create a live 3D map of dangerous stuff in the air — volcanic ash, nuclear fallout, desert dust, wildfire smoke. Think of it as a weather radar, but specifically for invisible airborne threats that can destroy jet engines or endanger passengers.

By the numbers

consortium partners across Europe

countries in the monitoring network

Billion-Euro range

potential economic damage from short aviation interruptions

demonstrator systems built and tested

total project deliverables produced

6 or 12 hours

analysis update frequency with new observational data

categories of airborne hazards covered (volcanic ash, nuclear, desert dust, fire)

The business problem

What needed solving

When volcanic eruptions, nuclear incidents, or massive wildfires inject hazardous particles into European airspace, airlines and air traffic controllers lack a unified real-time picture of exactly what is where and at what concentration. This information gap forces blanket airspace closures instead of targeted rerouting, causing economic disruptions that can reach the billion-euro range from even short interruptions. Aviation needs a continent-wide system that turns scattered sensor data into actionable 3D hazard maps in near-real-time.

The solution

What was built

The project delivered 5 demonstrator systems: a nuclear event alert system based on existing monitoring networks, a multi-platform near-real-time satellite monitoring system for volcanic ash, SO2, desert dust, and fire plumes, a 4D aerosol and SO2 analysis system updating every 6 or 12 hours, a pre-operational nuclear dispersion model with source-inversion capability, and aviation-specific hazard products with concentration thresholds for each type of airborne threat. In total, 43 deliverables were produced across the project.

Audience

Who needs this

Commercial airlines with European route networks needing real-time hazard reroutingAir navigation service providers managing European airspace during emergenciesAviation insurance underwriters pricing catastrophe risk from airborne eventsAirport operators planning ground stops and diversions during volcanic or nuclear eventsDefense and government agencies responsible for airspace security during environmental crises

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Aviation & Airlines

enterprise

Target: Commercial airlines and airline operations centers

If you are an airline operations team dealing with the risk of unplanned flight cancellations from volcanic eruptions, nuclear incidents, or wildfire smoke — this project developed a near-real-time 3D monitoring system that shows exactly where hazardous plumes are and at what concentration. Instead of blanket airspace closures like in 2010, your dispatchers can reroute flights around actual danger zones, keeping planes in the air safely. The system updates every 6 or 12 hours with fresh observational data.

Air Traffic Management

enterprise

Target: Air navigation service providers (ANSPs) and ATM system vendors

If you are an air navigation service provider responsible for safe airspace management during environmental emergencies — this project built a Europe-wide data analysis and assimilation system validated to SESAR maturity level V2. It delivers coherent hazard information across 12 countries so your controllers and automated systems can make consistent decisions. The system covers volcanic ash, desert dust, SO2 plumes, wildfire smoke, and nuclear dispersion events.

Insurance & Risk Assessment

enterprise

Target: Aviation insurance underwriters and catastrophe risk modelers

If you are an aviation insurer trying to price risk from rare but catastrophic airborne events — this project created demonstrators that model nuclear dispersion, volcanic ash spread, and wildfire plume movement in 4D. With 22 partners across 12 countries feeding data, the system gives you evidence-based exposure assessments instead of guesswork when calculating losses from events that can cause damage in the billion-euro range.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this monitoring system?

The project data does not include specific licensing or implementation costs. As a publicly funded RIA project coordinated by Austria's national meteorological institute, commercial terms would need to be negotiated directly with the consortium. The system integrates existing monitoring networks, so costs likely depend on which components you need access to.

Can this scale to cover airspace beyond Europe?

The system was designed for Europe-wide coverage with 22 partners across 12 countries. The underlying technology — satellite observations, ground-based sensors, and data assimilation models — is not inherently limited to European airspace. However, scaling would require partnerships with meteorological agencies and monitoring networks in other regions.

What is the IP situation and how can we license the technology?

This was a Research and Innovation Action (RIA) under Horizon 2020, meaning IP generated is typically owned by the consortium partners who created it. The coordinator is ZENTRALANSTALT FUER METEOROLOGIE UND GEODYNAMIK in Austria. Licensing discussions would need to go through them and relevant consortium members.

How mature is this system — is it ready for operational deployment?

The project targeted SESAR maturity level V2, which includes service validation activities and exercises. Work was also done to prepare a full V3 validation. Five demonstrator systems were built and tested, including alert systems for nuclear events, volcanic ash tracking, and nuclear dispersion modeling.

How does this integrate with existing aviation systems like EUROCONTROL?

EUNADICS-AV is classified as a SESAR Enabling project delivering SESAR Technological Solutions. This means it was designed from the start to feed into the broader European ATM modernization program, supporting ATM, ATC, airline flight dispatching, and individual flight planning workflows.

What types of hazards does this actually cover?

The system covers four categories of airborne hazards: volcanic ash and SO2 plumes, nuclear accidents and radionuclide dispersion, desert dust storms, and forest fire smoke plumes. Each hazard type has specific concentration thresholds and uncertainty levels defined according to aviation safety guidelines.

Are there regulatory requirements driving adoption of this kind of system?

The 2010 European Volcanic Ash Crisis exposed critical gaps in aviation's ability to respond to airborne hazards on a continental scale. EUNADICS-AV directly addresses the need for coherent, consistent hazard information that enables a seamless European-scale response, aligning with SESAR 2020 program requirements.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a research-heavy consortium with 22 partners from 12 European countries, dominated by 12 research organizations and complemented by 3 universities. The 3 industry partners (14% of the consortium) and 2 SMEs indicate this was primarily a scientific effort with some commercial grounding. The coordinator, Austria's Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics, is a national meteorological agency — meaning the technology was built by domain experts who run operational weather services. For a business looking to adopt this, the key question is which of the 3 industry partners are positioned to commercialize the tools, since the research institutions will likely need a commercial partner to deliver production-grade services.

ZENTRALANSTALT FUER METEOROLOGIE UND GEODYNAMIKCoordinator · AT
BUNDESMINISTERIUM FUR LANDESVERTEIDIGUNGparticipant · AT
FLIGHTKEYS GMBHparticipant · AT
AUSTRO CONTROL OSTERREICHISCHE GESELLSCHAFT FUR ZIVILLUFTFAHRT MBHparticipant · AT
VEDURSTOFA ISLANDSparticipant · IS
SATEILYTURVAKESKUSparticipant · FI
INSTITUT ROYAL METEOROLOGIQUE DE BELGIQUEparticipant · BE
PARIS-LODRON-UNIVERSITAT SALZBURGparticipant · AT
BRIMATECH SERVICES GMBHparticipant · AT
UNIVERSITE LIBRE DE BRUXELLESparticipant · BE
SVERIGES METEOROLOGISKA OCH HYDROLOGISKA INSTITUTparticipant · SE
DEUTSCHES ZENTRUM FUR LUFT - UND RAUMFAHRT EVparticipant · DE
CONSIGLIO NAZIONALE DELLE RICERCHEparticipant · IT
UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE CATALUNYAparticipant · ES
KONINKLIJK NEDERLANDS METEOROLOGISCH INSTITUUT-KNMIparticipant · NL
EUROPEAN CENTRE FOR MEDIUM-RANGE WEATHER FORECASTSparticipant · UK
METEO-FRANCEparticipant · FR
EIDGENOESSISCHES DEPARTEMENT DES INNERNparticipant · CH
ILMATIETEEN LAITOSparticipant · FI
INSTITUT ROYAL D'AERONOMIE SPATIALE DE BELGIQUEparticipant · BE
ISTITUTO NAZIONALE DI GEOFISICA E VULCANOLOGIAparticipant · IT
EUMETNET SNCthirdparty · BE

How to reach the team

The coordinator is ZENTRALANSTALT FUER METEOROLOGIE UND GEODYNAMIK in Austria — the national meteorological and geophysics agency. Contact through their institutional channels or CORDIS contact form.

Order a report on this consortium See ZENTRALANSTALT FUER METEOROLOGIE UND GEODYNAMIK profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how EUNADICS-AV's airborne hazard monitoring can strengthen your aviation operations or risk models? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the right consortium partner — contact us for a tailored briefing.

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