Storm season at Darwin Airport
Based on the couple of big ones we’ve seen recently, storm season has well and truly arrived in Darwin! If you’re travelling over the wet season, it’s important that you stay in touch with your airline, as it will have the most up-to-date information on your flight status in the event of bad weather.
Darwin International Airport (DIA) makes use of a Thunderstorm Alert System that helps DIA staff determine whether it is safe to keep working in the open environment of the airfield, depending on lightning activity in the vicinity.
This system is also used by the airline and ground handling companies – the people who look after your baggage and manage the aircraft for your flight. These companies have their own procedures in place for looking after their staff in a storm, and if and at what stage outside work should stop.
Although a lot of activity ceases when lightning activity comes within 5NM (9km) of the airfield, it does not mean the airport is closed and depending on the actual weather conditions aircraft arrival and departures will most likely continue. It is up to individual operators to implement procedures and guidelines for their staff to follow during a thunderstorm; some operators may decide to continue work. For this reason, travellers will always need to check with their airline for information on their particular flight.
Cyclones
During cyclone conditions, DIA follows advice from the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) and activates its cyclone plan according to the warnings that are issued. Regular updates are provided regarding the status of airport operations, and as much notice as possible is given in the event of changes to public access to the airport (considering the sometimes unpredictable nature of cyclones).
Airlines and other airport operators each have their own cyclone plans and may make scheduling decisions that result in changes to flights, regardless of the operating status of the airport. For this reason it’s important that passengers stay in touch with their airline and make direct contact for the latest flight information.
During a cyclone event, stay in touch with weather advice and tracking maps on the secureNT website.
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