AI to Help Planes Avoid Climate-Warming Contrails Over North Atlantic

Planes leave white streaks across the sky, but some of these "contrails" can warm the climate. These ice crystal formations typically dissipate quickly. However, in very cold, humid air, they can expand into heat-trapping clouds. A new UK project, Operation Blue Skies, aims to use artificial intelligence to help planes avoid these warming contrails.

The £5 million program will use flight data, satellite imagery, and weather information to predict where warming contrails are likely to form. The tests will focus on Shanwick airspace over the North Atlantic, an area responsible for about 5% of the global warming effect from contrails. The project involves Google, the UK government, the Met Office, air traffic control service NATS, and researchers from Cambridge and Imperial College London.

During the 2026-2027 and 2027-2028 winters, about 10,000 flights are expected to cross the monitored airspace. A portion of these flights will adjust their altitude to avoid areas where contrails might form. The AI system will analyze atmospheric conditions and past contrail formation to anticipate future occurrences, allowing for proactive flight path adjustments.