Human METAR observation remains the reference for airport cloud reporting, but is costly to sustain. Using a 2019–2020 campaign at Geneva Airport, this study compares observer reports, ceilometer-derived cloud layers and an infrared all-sky imager. A new optical-depth calibration separates low from high cloud, yielding an operationally coherent octa value. Ceilometers miss cloud edges; the imager lacks altitude. Fusing both raises agreement with the observer from 61 % to 69 %.