Earth is receiving a flash flood of charged plasma particles as the result of a solar storm that has erupted.  Virtually all on earth really will remain unaffected by it but the airline industry actually has to pay attention.

Airlines will route their flights further south from the North Pole (on arctic routes) for instance.  This will help reduce radiation exposure at altitude and potentially ensure that airliners remain in communication with the appropriate authorities. 

The frequencies used on polar routes as well as on long trans-oceanic routes are High Frequency (HF) and these frequencies are most commonly affected by solar storms.  However, that’s not the only thing that can be affected.  It’s not unknown for satellites to be knocked out of communication due to such storms and even GPS positioning can be affected.  It’s a known threat and one airlines know how to plan around. 

Airlines will fly their aircraft at lower altitudes in some cases and even route their flights on southerly, longer routes to avoid the North Pole which is where much of the plasma particles enter the earth’s atmosphere.  Are you in danger?  Absolutely not.  In fact, the radiation exposure concerns rest primarily on flight crews who are already exposed to more radiation as a function of their jobs at 30,000+ feet of altitude.

Filed under: Airline News by ajax