Wildfire smoke is not just a public health problem. For an airport it is an operational hazard that degrades visibility, complicates arrivals and departures, and can compromise terminal and airfield systems. This piece lays out pragmatic, pilot‑and-ops focused measures Marseille Provence and similar Mediterranean airports should adopt to reduce risk and shorten recovery times after a wildfire sends smoke over the field.
Start with the basics pilots and dispatchers need to expect. Smoke behaves like any other visibility hazard but with important differences. It can persist for days to weeks in lingering layers, degrade slant range visibility at low levels, and produce strong, gusty, and rapidly shifting surface winds when driven by local phenomena such as the mistral. Flight crews should prioritize IFR routings where available, plan alternates well outside the smoke plume, carry extra fuel for unplanned holds or diversion, and expect air traffic flow measures including ground delays or ground stops. These operational realities are highlighted in frontline guidance for crews operating near wildfires and should drive airline and GA briefing protocols.
Airport operations and air traffic management. When smoke intrudes, ANSPs and airport operators must treat the situation like a dynamic capacity reduction event. The FAA and other ANSPs have shown that arrival and departure rates can be reduced and ground stops issued when visibility drops quickly. Operators should predefine trigger thresholds for traffic flow measures using runway visual range and reported surface visibility, and then exercise the preplanned flow programs without delay. That approach reduces confusion, preserves safety margins, and limits cascade delays across the network. Prearranged agreements with nearby alternate airports for handling diversions should be rehearsed annually.
Protect airside crews and firefighting support. Large wildfires require significant numbers of aerial suppression assets. Recent operational analysis shows that modern aerial firefighting fleets depend on a wide set of airports for staging and reloading retardant or water. Airports that host these operations need dedicated staging zones, rapid refueling plans, and clear vehicle and pedestrian separation from commercial ramps. That reduces bottlenecks and keeps suppression aircraft cycling without compromising commercial traffic more than necessary. At the same time, airport fire and rescue teams must coordinate their priorities with regional incident commanders so that protective actions for terminals, fuel farms, and critical systems are synchronized with suppression efforts.
Terminal and passenger health measures. Smoke exposure is not limited to the outdoors. Fine particulate matter can infiltrate buildings and remain a health risk for days after visible smoke has cleared. Airports should have a baseline air quality plan that includes real time PM2.5 monitoring at arrivals, departures, baggage claim and airside service areas, a prequalified set of portable HEPA filtration units for surge deployment, and HVAC modes that maximize fresh air sealing and filtration rather than outside-air intake during heavy smoke episodes. Clear signage, mask distribution points and a public health messaging plan for vulnerable passengers help reduce medical incidents and legal exposure. Recent peer reviewed work shows medium term cardiorespiratory impacts from wildfire smoke exposure, which argues for an airport approach that treats smoke like any other environmental hazard requiring containment and monitoring.
Airfield maintenance and equipment considerations. Smoke and ash fall will soiling runway markings, lights, and navigational sensors. Airports should include post-event inspections of PAPI/VASI, runway edge and centerline lighting, RVR sensors, and instrument landing system components in their recovery checklist. Ground crews must be prepared with nonabrasive cleaning plans so visual aids are restored quickly without damaging equipment. Airfield lighting checks should be prioritized before full arrival rates are restored. Ground particulate can also accelerate filter clogging on critical gensets and air handlers; spare high efficiency filters should be held in inventory for rapid replacement.
Communications and decision transparency. A recurring operational failure in smoke events is inconsistent messaging between airlines, ATC, airport management, and civil protection agencies. Airports should publish a simple public protocol: when PM2.5 or RVR crosses a published threshold the airport will move to a named operational state, and that state will carry preannounced actions for runway acceptance rates, terminal protective measures, and passenger guidance. That transparency eases passenger compliance and gives airlines a predictable environment for issuing waivers and rebooking. Airlines and ANSPs should run tabletop exercises with prefectures, firefighting services, and health authorities to validate decision thresholds and communications templates.
Pilot and airline checklist items for the aftermath. For crews inbound to a smoke-affected airport: brief early, carry additional fuel to a remote alternate well outside forecast plume boundaries, expect vectoring and extended holding, monitor unlisted frequencies for firefighting traffic, and be ready to accept a diversion without penalty. On the ground, crews should be mindful of potential exposure for passengers and cabin crew when doors open to smoky air. Operators should consider sheltering passengers inside the aircraft with the ventilation modes set to recirculation and crew-supplied filtration when terminal ingress is unsafe.
Longer term infrastructure investments. Airports in fire-prone regions need to treat smoke resilience as part of core infrastructure spending. Priority items include upgraded HVAC filtration to meet high PM2.5 loads, redundant power for critical airside systems, hardened communication links, and investment in remote monitoring networks that fuse satellite smoke models with ground sensors for precise plume tracking. On the operational side, incorporating smoke scenarios into capacity modelling will help ensure realistic slot planning during a season when wildfires are more frequent and intense.
Final operational note. For Marseille specifically, local conditions favor rapid smoke transport under strong mistral winds. Any smoke mitigation plan must therefore be built around high quality, frequently updated localized meteorology, close ties with regional fire services, and a tested cascade plan for moving flights to alternates with minimal human bottlenecking. For pilots and frontline ops staff, practicality beats theory. Make alternates conservative, prestage fuel and tech resources for quick turn departures, and treat smoke like any other constraint on the arrival and departure rate that must be respected until sensors and inspections say otherwise.
The aviation community will not stop wildfires. We can, however, make airports far more resilient to their smoke by combining clear operational triggers, health protective measures in terminals, prioritized recovery work for airfield aids, and regular cross agency drills. Those steps keep crews safe, preserve capacity when it matters and shorten the airport recovery window after the flames are out.