Pollutionwatch: the sad end of the Met Office’s atmospheric survey plane

An aerial view of the Millennium Dome and Canary Wharf in London (not taken from Moasa). Photograph: Amer Ghazzal/Rex/Shutterstock

The Met Office’s atmospheric survey aircraft (Moasa) flew for the last time on 11 April, after funding ended.

Packed with scientific instruments, Moasa has been on standby to examine the fringes of volcanic ash clouds to see if it is safe for commercial jets. It also flew over London, Birmingham and Manchester to see pollution changes during lockdown and recently worked with university researchers as they made measurements on the ground.