FAA and NWS continue their partnership despite reports to the contrary

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WASHINGTON – Officials from both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Weather Service said Wednesday that their collaboration to specifically predict air traffic routes will continue, despite reports to the contrary that circulated last week.

The offices at the center of the report were the Center Weather Service Units (CWSUs) operating in the 21 Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs) across the United States

The ARTCCs are responsible for managing commercial traffic throughout the United States, particularly above 18,000 feet where thousands of flights operate daily.

The CWSU's mission, according to the unit's website, is to “produce specialized, tailored forecasts and advisories regarding thunderstorms, turbulence, icing and precipitation affecting the national airspace system.”

“The Federal Aviation Administration and the National Weather Service will continue our longstanding partnership to provide weather services to ensure the safety of the National Airspace System,” the agencies said in a joint statement to FOX Weather.

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A Delta Airbus A321 aircraft takes off in a haze of smoke from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia, on June 8, 2023, as smoke from wildfires in Canada covers the area.

(SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

Partnership is rooted in catastrophe

The trigger for the CWSUs was Southern Airways Flight 242, which crashed on April 4, 1977, en route to Atlanta. Of the 85 people on board, 62 were killed.

The aircraft flew through a severe storm that included hail and caused the engines to lose power.

The National Transportation Safety Board determined that due to the limitations of onboard weather radar at the time, the flight crew was unable to determine the severity of the storm before entering and changing course.

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