For several days we have witnessed how Hurricane Irma, which originated from a tropical storm, is moving across the Caribbean region and sacrificing lives and material damage. The Internet has encircled images of devastating wind gusts that reach speeds of up to 295 km / h. Hurricane Irma has already entered the record of meteorological records. It belongs to the longest hurricane category 5, when the wind speed was 295 km / h, lasting up to 34 hours.
Irma showed us that nature is still on top and man is not the master of nature. The amount of missed and canceled flights, damaged airports and airport technology are a sad business card. On the other hand, aircraft also help us to better understand the nature’s naturalities.
From the aviation perspective, there have been several events:
Airlines flying to the Caribbean
Travel agencies around the world tried to protect their vacationers from the hurricane. The information that clarified the predicted movement of Irma has therefore led to a significant increase in aircraft movements in the area. Airberlin, Tui, AirEuropa, Iberia, and other airlines have sent their long-distance planes to the Caribbean.
The Air Transat airline sent up to 10 aircraft. 7 to Punta Cana, 2 to Puerto Plata and 1 to Samana.
Interestingly, Flight DL431 of Delta Airlines from New York (JFK) to San Juan (SJU), despite of the weather, and especially thanks to the excellent cooperation of pilots, dispatchers and ground control, could fly to the destination airport during the ongoing hurricane. The plane was ready for departure for 50 minutes. All you have to do is look at the accompanying arrival and departure flight, and you will find that it was minutes in this case, and a possible later departure would be virtually impossible.
Research flights
The National Agency for Ocean and Atmosphere (NOAA) has sent up to 3 aircraft, specially equipped to monitor hurricanes. These is 1 Gulfstream IV (registration N49RF and Gonzo) and 2 Lockheed WP-3D Orion (registration N42RF with the name Kermin the Frog and N43RF with the name Miss Piggy). All of these aircraft were performing several observation and research flights in the vicinity of Hurricane Irma, or directly in the hurricane. All will serve to improve the early detection of tropical storms and hurricanes.
St. Maarten Airport (SXM)
There has been a significant damage to facilities and buildings at St. Maarten Airport.
