Cathay Pacific tests Google AI that dramatically cuts airplane contrails — tiny altitude shifts slash environmental impact by 40% in early trials

Google's artificial intelligence technology designed to reduce airplane contrails is being tested by Cathay Pacific across the Asia-Pacific region. Contrails, which are the ice-crystal streaks of cloud that form behind planes when they fly through cold, humid air, account for a third of the aviation industry's impact on climate change.

In trial flights, a 40% reduction in the warming impact of contrails was observed. Cathay Pacific flights have their altitudes slightly adjusted to avoid cold, humid atmospheric zones where contrails are likely to form, similar to how pilots avoid turbulence. Google's AI recommends these altitude adjustments based on data from satellite imagery, weather forecasts, and its own prediction technology.

The changes to flight routes are made without affecting passenger safety or flight operations. The goal is to relay information to the cockpit as early as possible through in-flight Wi-Fi. Contrail mitigation is seen as one of the most immediately available, scalable, and cost-effective ways to reduce aviation's climate footprint, and the Asia-Pacific region, being the fastest growing aviation market, is a prime area for implementation.