WSI Fusion™ 2.2 Now Available

Sept. 15, 2009
The new release of WSI Fusion extends WSI's global weather decision support capabilities by helping operators identify areas of convection that may cause enroute turbulence or icing.

ANDOVER, MA, September 14, 2009 - WSI Corporation, the most trusted name in aviation weather decision support, today announced WSI Fusion™ 2.2, an upgrade to its highly successful WSI Fusion application, an online service providing proactive information on changing flight, airport and airspace conditions. Among several new features added to its list of capabilities, WSI Fusion 2.2 includes tracking of global lightning information, tropical pseudo-radar imagery and projected aircraft positioning.

The new release of WSI Fusion extends WSI's global weather decision support capabilities by helping operators identify areas of convection that may cause enroute turbulence or icing. When combined with WSI's global enroute convective and turbulence guidance -- issued by WSI's experienced team of aviation meteorologists and Fusion's proprietary manage-by-exception alerting engine -- Fusion enables operators to plan operations proactively and mitigate the impacts of disruptive events.

"As a critical partner in aviation operations management for carriers, corporations and airports, WSI Fusion helps managers to stay ahead of changing operational conditions and take positive action to reduce operational impacts," said Mark D. Miller, VP and General Manager of WSI's Aviation Division. "WSI Fusion 2.2 further enhances its global capabilities -- most notably in areas of global turbulence and expanded global lightning coverage. Through proactive operation management and control, the WSI Fusion service enables air carriers to reduce cost per flight segment, which is imperative in the current operating environment."

Version 2.2's teaming of precise terminal and enroute forecasts with flight-centric alerting provides early insight into critical flying conditions. This results in operational flexibility, and ultimately, improved fuel planning.

For example, Version 2.2 alerts operators as to when a flight plan intersects with WSI's global enroute turbulence forecast area and then enables optimal routing to reduce fuel usage and turbulence incidents.

WSI Fusion 2.2 upgrades include:

Expanded satellite-derived pseudo radar depicts convective activity in the central latitudes, where traditional ground-based precipitation radar coverage is unavailable. This capability is available worldwide from approximately 30 degrees north, to 30 degrees south latitude.

Expanded real-time lightning coverage from WSI's Global Lightning Network (GLN). When combined with WSI's global products and enroute hazard services, WSI's GLN provides an unrivalled capability to locate and route plan around enroute convective activity.

Enhanced flight data interface supports flight data from sources other than traditional FAA and EUROCONTROL sources, enabling the tracking of airborne aircraft movements worldwide.

Extended airspace restriction, flight information, and flight projection capabilities for aircraft operators participating in the EUROCONTROL Electronic Flight Data (EFD) trial program.

"Development of Fusion 2.2's global reach has been customer driven," said John Szatkowski, WSI Product Manager. "This new version provides deeper and more pervasive early insight into disruptive events, empowering users to take positive action that reduces impacts. The end result is safer, more efficient operations in areas with sparse or unreliable data sources, mitigating the impact of enroute hazards and improving routing and fuel planning."

About WSI Fusion

Web-based WSI Fusion service streamlines operational decisions by combining public and proprietary weather information, airspace constraints, flight information, and operational data into a unified operational on-screen picture. The software enables dispatchers, operations personnel, and aviation managers to stay ahead of changing conditions important to flight conditions.

WSI Fusion is one in a series of proactive operations management solutions offered by WSI that transform weather information into safer and more efficient flight and airport operations.

For more information about WSI Fusion 2.2 contact John Szatkowski at 978.983.6719 or [email protected].

About WSI Corporation

WSI Corporation is the world's leading provider of weather-driven business solutions for professionals in the aviation, media and energy markets. WSI's proactive operation management suite ensures common situational awareness and continuity in decisions through every phase of flight. WSI is a member of The Weather Channel Companies and is headquartered in Andover, Massachusetts with offices in Birmingham, England. The Weather Channel Companies are owned by a consortium made up of NBC Universal and the private equity firms The Blackstone Group and Bain Capital. For more information call (800) USA-2FLY, or visit: www.wsi.com In the Eastern Hemisphere call +44 (0) 121 233 7600.