UK puts Google AI on the flight path to fewer contrails
Trial will test whether small route and altitude tweaks can reduce aviation's warming impact
The UK government is investing £2.6 million in a 30-month trial to use Google's artificial intelligence to help airlines avoid forming persistent contrails over the North Atlantic. Contrails are water vapor trails that form when jet exhaust freezes into ice crystals in cold, humid air, and can trap heat if they persist. The Department for Transport is partnering with Google to combine Met Office weather forecasts with AI to suggest alternative flight paths for participating aircraft.
Flight tests for the trial are planned for the winters of 2026-27 and 2027-28. The experiment aims to determine if the climate benefits of avoiding persistent contrails outweigh any additional fuel burned to change flight paths. The project does not require airlines to replace their fleets or invent a new jet engine, as it focuses on making small adjustments to routes and altitudes.
Aviation Minister Keir Mather stated that the trial is part of the UK's effort to make flying cleaner without waiting for airlines to implement major changes.
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Also reported by 1 other outlet
- UK puts Google AI on the flight path to fewer contrails theregister.com
