9 September 2026

EASA Report Examines Atmospheric Icing Risks in a Changing Climate

EASA has published a report examining atmospheric icing risks and how changing climatic conditions could affect the frequency, altitude and severity of icing hazards faced by aviation.

Cover of the EASA European Network on Impact of Climate Change on Aviation (EN-ICCA) report on the state of science and knowledge on atmospheric icing in a climate change context. — Cover of EASA's EN-ICCA report on the state of science and knowledge on atmospheric icing in a climate change context. [EASA]

Why this article matters
Atmospheric icing remains a direct operational and safety concern because supercooled liquid droplets, ice crystals and mixed-phase conditions can affect aircraft performance, engine reliability and flight safety. EASA’s report identifies continuing limitations in forecasting icing severity and ice crystal conditions, as well as gaps in observations and modelling.

Climate change could alter where, how often and how severely icing occurs, but the evidence is not yet sufficient to define those future risks with confidence. EASA is calling for improved icing indices, better climatological datasets and further modelling work so the industry can understand how the hazard may evolve and adapt accordingly.

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency has published a report examining the current state of knowledge on atmospheric icing and how changing climatic conditions could affect the aviation weather hazard in future.

Developed under the European Network on Impact of Climate Change on Aviation, the report considers icing caused by supercooled liquid droplets, ice crystals and mixed-phase conditions, all of which can affect aircraft performance, engine reliability and flight safety.

The study examines the meteorological conditions associated with icing, the physical factors influencing its severity and the vulnerability of different aircraft types and phases of flight. It also reviews how icing risks are currently managed through aircraft design and certification, operational procedures and weather forecasting.

EASA said forecasting capabilities have improved, but important knowledge and data gaps remain. Particular challenges include predicting icing severity and in-flight ice crystal conditions, while limitations in observations, model resolution and the representation of cloud microphysics can affect the accuracy of icing assessments.

The report also considers how climate change could alter atmospheric icing conditions. Evidence on future trends remains limited, but preliminary research indicates that changes in climate could affect the frequency, altitude and severity of icing.

EASA said further research, improved climatological datasets and better modelling approaches are required to establish how the hazard may evolve.

The report recommends two strategic areas of work. The first focuses on improving icing indices and the data used for climatological studies, while the second calls for climatological studies using reanalysis data and climate-model outputs.

The findings are intended to support further work on improving the aviation sector’s understanding of atmospheric icing and its ability to adapt to changing weather hazards.

The study forms part of the wider work of EN-ICCA, EASA’s network bringing together expertise on the effects of climate change on aviation.