Our new contrail avoidance trial in Asia-Pacific
Google and Cathay Pacific will test AI-driven contrail avoidance on Asia-Pacific flights, aiming to reduce aviation’s climate impact by adjusting flight altitudes.
Google is collaborating with Cathay Pacific to trial artificial intelligence that helps pilots avoid forming heat-trapping contrails by making minor altitude adjustments. Early tests on over 80 flights reduced the warming effect of these streaks by approximately 40 percent.
The trials now expand across Cathay Pacific’s Asia-Pacific network to assess operational feasibility and gather data for global contrail research.
Contrails, the white streaks behind aircraft, can persist and trap heat in the atmosphere, contributing roughly one-third of aviation’s total climate impact. To address this, the AI system uses satellite imagery, weather data, and predictions to identify contrail-prone zones before departure.
Flight teams then plan slight altitude changes around these areas, similar to avoiding turbulence, without compromising safety or passenger experience.