WASHINGTON – Officials from both the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Weather Service said Wednesday that their collaboration aimed at specific forecasting for 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 (CWSU) operating at the 21 Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCC) in the US.

ARTCCs are responsible for directing commercial traffic in the US, primarily above 18,000 feet, where thousands of flights operate daily.

CWSU’s role is to produce “customized specialized forecasts and advisories regarding storms, turbulence, icing and precipitation affecting the National Airspace System,” according to the unit. website.

“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 sent to FOX Weather.

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

(SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)

Partnership rooted in disaster

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

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

The National Transportation Safety Board noted that the flight crew could not determine the severity of the storm before entering and reversing course due to the limitations of the onboard weather radar at the time.

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The wreckage of Southern Airways Flight 242.

(FAA)