Extreme space weather events could force aircraft to reroute or be grounded, according to new research led by the University of Surrey. The study, published in the Journal of Space Weather and Space Climate, details the scale of radiation risks to passengers, crew and onboard systems.
Researchers at the Surrey Space Centre found that such events can significantly increase radiation exposure at typical flight altitudes of 8-14km and trigger faults in aircraft electronics, posing a challenge for flight safety.
The atmosphere provides some protection, but radiation exposure on many commercial flights remains higher than at ground level and can surge during solar storms. According to measurements led by the Surrey Space Centre, a major solar storm in November 2025 briefly raised radiation levels to nearly 10 times normal flight conditions at high altitudes. Historical data indicates that the strongest solar storm on record, in 1956, could have exposed passengers to the equivalent of a year’s worth of flight-related cosmic radiation.
High-energy particles from space can also interfere with onboard electronics, causing single-event upsets (SEUs) – small errors that can accumulate and disrupt critical systems. Airbus temporarily grounded 6,000 A320 aircraft last year after discovering a vulnerability to intense solar radiation in a flight control computer, following an October 2025 incident in which a JetBlue flight from Cancún to Newark made an emergency landing in Florida. In extreme scenarios, SEUs could rise from a few per hour to thousands.
The biggest risks are on polar routes, such as between London Heathrow and Vancouver International, where Earth’s magnetic shielding is weakest, though effects can extend further south during severe geomagnetic storms.
Dr Fan Lei, senior research fellow at the Surrey Space Centre and lead author of the study, said, “The recent Airbus A320 grounding linked to cosmic radiation shows that space weather is not a theoretical risk; it is already affecting aviation. As aircraft systems become more advanced and increasingly reliant on electronics, understanding and preparing for these events will be critical to maintaining flight safety.”
The researchers say current aviation safety frameworks mostly focus on routine radiation exposure without fully accounting for extreme space weather events. They are calling for clearer guidance and better integration of space weather data into flight planning.
The team has proposed a new atmospheric radiation scale for aviation. Prof. Keith Ryden, leader of the space environment and protection research team and study co-author, said, “We’ve introduced a clearer, aviation-specific radiation scale to help support more informed decision-making in aviation, helping operators act quickly to protect passengers, crew and critical onboard systems.”
In related news, Met Office and DfT publish new guidance on space weather for transportation sector