Orange skies, cars covered in dust... the sand of the Sahara is back. Like last week in the south-east of France, a thick cloud of dust and sand coming from the Sahara desert is coming over France this weekend, but over a much larger part of the country this time.
In this orange sky, planes will continue to fly as usual to drop off their passengers in the four corners of the planet. However, flying through this dust cloud can affect the efficiency of the aircraft's reactor.
Also read: Sahara sand: can the phenomenon damage the bodywork of your car?
“Sand clogs the engine, but will never cause it to stall,” explains aeronautical expert Xavier Tytelman. “So at worst we will lose engine efficiency, but it will be enough to clean it. » If knowing that a plane's engine is losing its efficiency may frighten some, the former French military aviator wants to reassure. “The loss of efficiency affects fuel consumption but does not call into question the safety of the device.”
A difference with volcanic ash
Nowadays, devices are prepared for this type of phenomenon and have all the necessary tools to deal with it. Several big data companies like OpenAirlines make it possible to know if the engine is clogged, “to clean it at the right time,” explains Xavier Tytelman. “A plane that goes back and forth to Sweden or Morocco is not going to get dirty at the same rate,” he continues.
If volcanic eruptions are a real danger for air traffic, this is not the case with the Sahara dust cloud. “The problem with volcanic ash is that it can
merge
and create plates with the heat of the engine, which is not the case with Sahara sand,” reassures the expert.
However, some airports located near the desert sometimes close due to a sandstorm, but these measures are more taken because of the strong winds as well as the low visibility, which can make takeoffs and landings impossible.