The 2024 Atlantic hurricane season is here; NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) predicts it will be above normal due to La Niña and warmer-than-average ocean temperatures, and it will be highly unpredictable - the first hurricane in the season, Beryl, was not even on the charts.

When it was on the radar, most weather apps showed winds only above 30 knots (roughly 35 miles per hour) during its initial stages. It quickly developed into a tropical storm and then a hurricane. Beryl was the earliest Category 5 Atlantic Basin hurricane just 12 hours after its landfall in the southern Windward Islands on 1 July, and the strongest July hurricane by wind speed on record in the region. Just impressive.

This demonstrates the need to adapt quickly and understand the many variables that must be considered when operating during extreme weather conditions. And how to prepare for them.

In that sense, private aviation is uniquely positioned to provide passengers with repositioning options to go home early or even assist after an extreme weather situation strikes, by operating in remote locations that require medical or humanitarian assistance. Private aircraft can safely leave earlier and even depart on short notice, unlike commercial airliners, which will most likely be delayed or cancelled.

The repositioning options will vary depending on the location of the storm and the availability of aircraft in a particular region, which demonstrates the need for established protocols throughout the entire Atlantic Basin and healthy connections with local providers and authorities.

Years ago, at Icarus Jet, we developed comprehensive protocols for navigating extreme weather conditions, particularly hurricanes, to protect our clients and their assets. Moving the aircraft from the hurricane’s path should be done considering the predicted path, although the hurricane can veer off that path.

We therefore advise the crews we serve to move away from the Caribbean all together as all islands lose some ability to offer protection in terms of personnel safety and medical care. Flying to the mainland is advisable, yet considering the ferry flight times and associated costs is also paramount.

However, the first line of defence is insurance coverage. All aircraft we source have comprehensive insurance policies that can specifically include coverage for lightning strikes and storm damage, which is essential for the aircraft’s physical integrity and financial security.

Comprehensive policies typically cover a range of scenarios, from minor damage to total loss, ensuring that owners are protected no matter the storm’s severity. Additionally, a robust insurance policy can expedite repairs and replacements, minimising downtime and ensuring operations remain resilient and meet our passengers’ tight agendas.

One of the most important coverages to have on all jet policies is ‘Extra Expense for Substitute Aircraft’. While this typically won’t provide the full amount that the insured customer would incur to source a replacement aircraft, it typically will offer at least $10k per day while theirs is down for repairs in a usual 60-day coverage period.

Another is ‘Trip Interruption Expense’, which pays on behalf of the insured customer for the applicable extra expenses (food, lodging and transportation) incurred by passengers of an interrupted flight due to a covered physical damage loss, such as a lightning strike. 

I recently heard of an incident in which an aircraft received foreign object damage (FOD), considerably jeopardising its structure. Since the plane would have to remain in the event location for the repairs, the Trip Interruption insurance covered commercial business class tickets back to the passengers’ destination.

The same should apply to aircraft vandalism. With increasing activism toward general aviation, environmental campaign groups are finding new illegal ways to ‘support’ their causes, such as spraying paint on private jets. The most recent case was a few weeks back in the private airfield at Stansted airport in the UK, where ‘protesters’ sprayed orange paint on two Gulfstream G650.

The aircraft insurance industry should consider these vandalism incidents as part of their policy coverages, as jets will require downtime for repairs.

Regarding charter customers, the operator should have some protections in place should one of their aircraft become unusable for a flight. They should also have substitute aircraft coverage to help them find an alternative, what is often called ‘Interim Lift’ coverage. This could be beneficial, but the caveat is that it is costly on a single-owner aircraft, while it is a typical coverage on fleet insurance. The downtime could be weeks and can cause the owner to fly on demand charter, which costs twice the operating cost of their own jet.

Planning flights around severe weather conditions requires a sophisticated approach leveraging advanced meteorological tools and real-time data to support crews, prioritising safety over convenience. And it all starts with a pre-flight weather briefing, a point in the process when the crew receives detailed weather information covering all journey aspects, from departure to arrival, and for all alternate airports.

Alternative routing plays a considerable role, and having multiple routing options to avoid severe weather is paramount. Constantly monitoring weather patterns and adjusting flight paths as necessary to steer clear of dangerous conditions is instrumental. For increased effectiveness, maintaining close relationships with meteorologists who provide customised forecasts is also a key piece in the preparedness puzzle as their expertise is invaluable, and allows aviation professionals to make informed decisions.

Mitigating actions are also part of the plan. For instance, being in a hangar is excellent. Hangars offer significant protection against high winds, hail and lightning strikes. Prioritising hangar space in hurricane-prone areas adds an additional layer of safety to the operation.

Still, pilots should note that a flood will breach most hangars and cause damage, so it’s essential to move away entirely from the path of the hurricane.

For a successful outcome, it is vital to coordinate with airports and ground handling services to facilitate rapid response regarding hangar availability options, and even repositioning. This includes arranging for fuel and securing every detail when performing above-wing and below-wing services amid extreme weather conditions.

Research has taught us that the longer the hurricane stays on water, the stronger it is, and it usually dissipates once over land. The reason is that water causes more churning, and land causes friction. This is a significant aspect of why, again, aviation professionals and crew should not rely entirely on the projected path of the hurricane.

As projected by NOAA, the 2024 hurricane season has arrived earlier than ever, and it’s on us to prepare for this new normal in a proactive manner. Safety is only achievable with preparedness and an understanding of different potential scenarios, which will always include trusted third-party providers in diverse locations throughout a hurricane’s path.

Investing in technology and training is also part of the preparedness phase, as well as achieving a robust emergency response plan. By staying ahead of the storm’s path while understanding its shifting nature, private aviation companies can effectively prioritise and navigate the complexities of extreme weather and ensure the highest standards of safety are put in place to protect our customers and their aircraft.