Cathay Pacific and Google trial AI technology to cut climate impact of aircraft trails
Google estimates that those flights achieved about a 40% reduction in the warming impact of contrails. Because of factors including airspace and payload restrictions, the release notes that not all of the targeted flights participated. Google and Cathay Pacific have partnered to test AI-powered technology that could help airlines avoid conditions that lead to persistent aircraft contrails, which can contribute to atmospheric warming. The trial is being conducted across Cathay Pacific’s flight network, with a second phase now planned to collect more operational data. Cathay Pacific is Google’s first commercial airline partner in Asia-Pacific to trial the contrail mitigation technology and the first airline globally to test the system on ultra-long-haul flights. Google’s system combines AI-based predictive models, satellite imagery and weather data to forecast areas where aircraft are likely to form contrails. Google and Cathay Pacific are now starting a larger second phase of trials across Cathay’s Asia and transpacific network. The partnership with Google is focused on the separate issue of non-CO₂ climate effects, including contrails.