A forecast that respects how IST actually works.
Turkish Cargo cut loader standdowns at IST by 41% with stand-level wind forecasts.
One of the world's busiest cargo hubs sits in a microclimate.
Istanbul Airport's geometry — its position relative to the Black Sea, the surrounding terrain, and the layout of its cargo aprons — produces a microclimate that the airport-level METAR doesn't fully describe. Crosswind, gust, and precipitation patterns vary significantly by stand and by time of day.
Standdowns weren't because of the airport. They were because of the stand.
The OCC's existing weather brief was airport-resolution. Loader and high-loader cut-off events were reported per-stand by ground crews calling the desk — usually after the fact. Pre-positioning ground equipment to the right stand for the next inbound was reactive rather than predictive.
A microclimate model trained on five years of IST data.
FlightSure built a stand-level microclimate model for IST using five years of METAR, terrain modelling, and a network of microclimate sensors deployed in partnership with the airport's ground services team. Stand-level wind forecasts are surfaced inside the OCC's existing operational view.
Standdowns down 41%, delay minutes down ~12k / yr.
Loader and high-loader standdowns dropped 41%. Delay minutes saved are estimated at 12,000 per year. Stand reassignments became proactive rather than reactive — most are made 30+ minutes before the aircraft arrives.
Microclimate models at SAW and AYT.
Phase 2 extends the microclimate approach to Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) and Antalya (AYT), with the same sensor-network deployment model.
“We finally have a forecast that respects how IST actually works. The OCC stopped arguing with the airport METAR and started using it for what it's good for.”ManagerOCC, Turkish Cargo