Overview of Service

Mission

The mission of the Bureau's Aviation Weather Service is to enhance the safety, regularity and efficiency of national and international civil aviation operations through the provision of accurate, timely and relevant forecasts, warnings and other information, whilst meeting Australia's obligations under international agreements for the provision of meteorological services for international aviation.

Australia is a signatory (a Contracting State) to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, known as the Chicago Convention. The convention established the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and vested it with power to adopt and amend international standards and practices in relation to international air navigation. Annex 3 to the Chicago Convention sets out the relevant standards and recommended practices pertaining to the provision of the meteorological service for international aviation. It states that 'the objective of meteorological service for international aviation shall be to contribute towards the safety, regularity and efficiency of international air navigation.' For the purposes of the Chicago Convention, the Bureau of Meteorology is the designated Meteorological Authority.

Functions

• Provision of aeronautical meteorological observations;
• Provision of aeronautical forecasts and warnings;
• Provision of aeronautical climatological information;
• Research and development;
• Quality management of aviation weather services;
• Investigations into aviation weather-related incidents;
• Liaison with the meteorological community and the aviation industry;
• Policy and standards;
• Education and training;
• Forecaster competency program;
• Participation in international aviation meteorology through ICAO and World Meteorological Organization (WMO) forums.

Products

• Aerodrome Forecasts (TAF).
  • TAF Review Information
  • Aerodrome Forecast Request Procedure
  • TAF Service Map
• Trend Forecasts (TTF).
  • Trend Review − TAF3 Implementation Information
• Aerodrome Warnings
• Aerodrome Weather Reports (METAR and SPECI)
• Graphical Area Forecasts (GAF)
• Area QNH
• Upper Level Analysis and Prognosis charts
• World Area Forecast System Wind and Temperature charts
• World Area Forecast System Significant Weather charts (SIGWX)
• Forecast Route Sector Winds and Temperatures
• Selected route forecasts for high density routes
• International TAF Bulletins according to major route corridors
• SIGMET
• AIRMET
• Volcanic Ash Advisories
• Tropical Cyclone Advisories
• Aerodrome climatological information
• Aerodrome Weather Information Service (AWIS).
  • AWIS Locations

Meteorological Service Charge (effective 1st July 2024)

Airservices will collect and maintain records relating to aircraft characteristics, ownership, registration, aircraft movements and other ancillary details necessary to calculate the Meteorological Service charge (MSC).

The MSC is incurred by:

• all domestic landings operating under IFR;
• all international flights (inbound and outbound); and
• all flights over an Australian Flight Information Region.

The charge is calculated on the basis of the MTOW and the distance in kilometres flown (assuming a minimum of 100 km). Distance is calculated in the same way as it is calculated for enroute. The charge is multiplied by 1.1 to include GST.

Calculation of the Meteorological Service Charge (MSC)

The formulae as agreed between Airservices and the Bureau used to calculate the MSC
(inclusive of GST) are as follows:

(a) For aircraft with an MTOW of below 20 tonnes:

MSC = $0.070 x (Distance/100) x MTOW x 1.1

(b) For aircraft with an MTOW of 20 tonnes or greater:

MSC = $0.317 x (Distance/100) x square root of MTOW x 1.1