Operation Blue Skies: Reducing aviation climate impact with AI

A new initiative, Operation Blue Skies, aims to reduce aviation's climate impact by minimizing contrails. This project will operate within the eastern half of the North Atlantic corridor, known as Shanwick airspace, which contributes about 5% of global contrail warming. Over a 30-month period, the program will conduct two four-month operational trials, potentially preventing around 10,000 flights from forming warming contrails.

Operation Blue Skies is a collaborative effort involving the UK aviation industry, EUROCONTROL's MUAC, and Flight Planning Software providers like FlightKeys. Google UK is also participating pro bono, contributing £1.4 million in AI research expertise, engineering time, and high-performance computing infrastructure.

The initiative seeks to demonstrate that avoiding contrails is both scientifically validated and operationally feasible. By deviating flights slightly, Operation Blue Skies aims to avoid contrail-sensitive regions while maintaining normal flight operations. If successful, this could provide a blueprint for managing airspaces to significantly reduce aviation's climate impact.

The program is co-funded by industry partners and the Department for Transport, with 100% of the government grant funding directed to academic, non-profit, and aviation partners.