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The Meteorological Department Curaçao (MDC) is designated as the meteorological service provider for international air navigation in the Curaçao FIR and Curaçao. |
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Meteorological Department Curaçao TEL: (+5999) 839-3360/839-3361 e-mail: forecaster@meteo.cw |
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Meteorological Watch Office (MWO) MWO maintains watch over meteorological conditions affecting flight operations in the Curaçao FIR, and prepares and |
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Meteorological office (MO) providing a range of forecasting functions for international |
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Aeronautical Meteorological Stations (AMS) designated to maintain the observations |
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in accordance with the provisions contained in the following ICAO-documents: |
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ICAO Annex 3 - Meteorological Service for International Air Navigation; |
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ICAO Doc 8733 - Regional Air Navigation Plan - Caribbean and South American |
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The Meteorologial Department Services for Civil Aviation in Aruba is provided by the Meteorological Department of Aruba (Departamento Meteorological di Aruba (DMA)). The DMA can be contacted: |
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Meteorological Department of Aruba Email: info@meteo.aw (administration) observer@meteo.aw (24hrs) |
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The Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) is designated as the meteorological service provider for international air navigation for Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba. KNMI Aviation Services is the subdivision of the Institute charged with the provision of meteorological information. |
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e-mail: aviation@knmi.nl URL: http://www.knmi.nl |
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Note: consult paragraph 4 for requests by telephone about meteorological information. |
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The service is provided by officers of KNMI within: o Meteorological office (MO) providing a range of forecasting functions for international air navigation for Bonaire. o Aeronautical Meteorological Stations (AMS) designated to maintain the observations for Bonaire for use in international air navigation. in accordance with the provisions contained in the following ICAO-documents: o ICAO Annex 3 - Meteorological Service for International Air Navigation; o ICAO Doc 7030 - Regional Supplementary Procedures, Part 3; o ICAO Doc 8733 - Regional Air Navigation Plan - Caribbean and South American Regions. |
MWO San Juan FIR,
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Furthermore, the Meteorological Department St. Maarten (MDS) is responsible for providing all meteorological information for air navigation for St. Maarten. The MDS can be contacted: |
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Personal briefing and consultation is available in Curaçao at the Air Traffic Service Reporting Office (ARO) located at Hato Curaçao International Airport and through telephone, e-mail, Internal information website, MDC website and FAX. |
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Briefing and consultation for Bonaire, St. Eustatius and Saba is provided by KNMI through telephone and internet (www.knmidc.org). See AD 2 chapters #2.11 for telephone number. |
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Personal briefing and consultation at Princess Juliana Airport, St. Maarten is provided by the MET office at the airport. |
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For Aruba, the consultation is available at the meteorological office, located at the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) building, Sabana Berde 73-B |
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For all available briefing and consultation of the Dutch Caribbean territory islands’ aerodromes please see AD 2 chapter, table #2.11 of the reffered to aerodrome, for the telephone numbers. |
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Flight documentation is normally not provided for flights between the Dutch Caribbean islands. For international flights within the Caribbean Area, this product is issued four times a day and comprises of a significant weather chart, upper wind and upper temperature chart and the latest available aerodrome forecast for the destination and if required, for its alternate aerodrome and is available on MDC’s website under aviation and through email. To receive this product through email, a request should be send to forecaster@meteo.cw to be added on the list. |
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Flights to destinations outside the Caribbean Area will normally be provided with prognostic upper-air charts for several standard levels, significant weather chart and the latest available aerodrome forecasts for flights to Western Europe, North America, Brazil, Colombia and Suriname. |
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Flight documentation for Caribbean Netherlands is issued three times a day by KNMI and comprises of a significant weather, upper wind and upper temperature chart and the latest available aerodrome forecast for the destination and if required, for its alternate aerodrome and is available on KNMI’s website under aviation (www.knmidc.org) |
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Flight documents for the Caribbean and European flights are also issued three times daily at the Meteorological Department St. Maarten (MDS) and can be found on the website at www.meteosxm.com |
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Hourly routine reports (METAR) are available for Hato Curaçao International Airport (Curaçao) and Princess Juliana Airport (St. Maarten) 24 hours a day. If warranted, special reports (SPECI) will be issued for both Hato Curaçao International Airport and Princess Juliana Airport during these hours. Hourly routine reports ((AUTO) METAR) are available for Flamingo Airport (Bonaire) 24 hours a day. |
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If warranted, special reports (SPECI) will be issued during opening hours of the airport. |
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For the CUR/FIR SE a daily General Aviation Forecast (GAF ABC) is produced and made available on the website www.meteo.cw under aviation and through email. To receive this product through email, a request should be sent to forecaster@meteo.cw to be added on the list. The validity period is 1100-2300 Z. (Levels of Coverage: MSL to FL100). |
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A General Aviation Forecast (GAF) is produced by the MDS for the St. Maarten TMA, and made available on the website www.meteosxm.com under aviation and through email. To receive this product through email, a request should be send to forecastersxm@gmail.com to be added on the list. The validity period is 1200-2400 Z. (Levels of Coverage: MSL to FL100). |
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Aerodrome forecasts are issued, for Curaçao with a validity of 24 hrs, starting from 00-06-12-and 18 UTC. Aerodrome forecasts are issued, for Bonaire, with a validity of 30 hrs, starting from 00-06-12 and 18 UTC. Amendments thereto are issued as necessary, when changes are expected during the period of validity of a given forecast. |
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Aerodrome Forecasts for St. Maarten are issued by San Juan and are valid for 24 hrs and updated when necessary. |
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Trend forecasts are prepared and disseminated for Curaçao with a validity of |
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Trend forecasts are prepared and disseminated for St. Maarten with a validity of 2 hrs. |
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SIGMETs for the Curaçao FIR are prepared by MDC and disseminated for thunderstorms (obscured, embedded, frequent, or squal lines, with or without hail) severe turbulence, volcanic ash and tropical cyclones, with a validity period of up to 4 hrs. Note: SIGMET information at Queen Beatrix International Airport is distributed by the Aeronautical Meteorological Station ARUBA to the following ATS Units: ARO, TOWER and AMU via the FMC-8 system.SIGMETs for the San Juan FIR are prepared and issued by the MWO San Juan. |
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Aerodrome warnings are issued by the MDC for Curacao and Aruba, for all aircraft, aerodrome facilities and services on that specific aerodrome for the following conditions: |
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· Tropical cyclone conditions (10 minutes mean surface winds are 34 kts or higher); |
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· Heavy showers with rainfall amounts affecting ground operations adversely; |
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Dust storms or rising dust causing visibility of less than 5000 meters. |
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Aircraft reports of wind shear encountered during climb and descent are the primary means of detecting wind shear. The MO provides advice, when possible, on the likely duration of the event and forecast low level winds. Where wind shear has been observed and reported, or warning will be issued. A wind shear warning will be cancelled when wind shear is no longer expected. |
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Statistics of the observations made at the airports of Curaçao, Bonaire, St. Eustatius are issued annually. Climatological normals over a 30 year period are also available for Curaçao, Bonaire and St. Eustatius. |
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Climatological summaries of the observations made at the abovementioned airports may be requested at the following address: |
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For St. Maarten, climatological summaries are issued monthly and annually and can be requested by email to meteo@sintmaartengov.org |
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Surface wind is measured by acoustic 2-axis anemometer located at a lateral distance from the runway centre line as indicated in page GEN 3.5-2, Aerodrome meteorological observations and reports - AIP Dutch Caribbean. Wind indicators are located in the meteorological office and in the appropriate Air Traffic Service Units. |
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Distant reading thermometers and digital humidity sensors are used to measure the air temperature and relative humidity and are located on the aerodrome close to the anemometer site in conditions normally representative of the air temperature and relative humidity over the runway. A rain gauge and barometer are also available close to the anemometer site. |
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Radiosonde-balloons are launched daily at Aeropuerto Hato, Curacao at approximately 1115 and 2315 UTC and at Princess Juliana Airport daily at approximately 1130 UTC, and between 2300UTC and 0000UTC . |
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Operators requiring meteorological briefing and/or flight documentation for non-scheduled flights, should notify the meteorological service: |
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1. For flights in the Caribbean Area three (3) hrs before the expected time of |
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2. For flights beyond the Caribbean Area up to 2000 NM distance, six (6) hrs |
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3. For flights to Europe and elsewere at least 12 hrs before departure. |
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Pursuant to ICAO Annex 3, chapter 5, when air-ground data link is used and |
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3.5.9 Differences from ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices and Procedures |
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Instrument observations of low-level vertical wind shear are not available. |
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Local routine reports and local special reports are issued to ATS units (TWR, Area Control, ARO/AIS). Local routine and local special reports are not issued for Bonaire. METAR/SPECI and meteorological sensor oinformation is available for aerodrome and ATC. |