Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre (VAAC)
The London VAAC is an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) designated centre, responsible for issuing advisories for volcanic eruptions originating in Iceland and the north-eastern corner of the North Atlantic.
The London VAAC is one of 9 Volcanic Ash Advisory Centres worldwide, and has specialist forecasters who produce volcanic ash advisories and guidance products using a combination of volcano data; satellite-based, ground-based and aircraft observations; weather forecast models and dispersion models. The volcanic ash forecasts are provided to the standards and tolerances set by the regulator, and support decision-making by the CAA as the lead agency, NATS and airlines.
In 2025 a new quantitative volcanic ash provision will be introduced.
We provide a reciprocal back-up facility with Toulouse VAAC, operated by Météo-France.