AI-Powered Contrail Avoidance Takes Flight on Cathay Pacific Routes

Cathay Pacific and Google have expanded their trial of artificial intelligence technology designed to help aircraft avoid climate-warming contrails. The initial test showed a significant reduction in their warming impact, with an estimated 40 percent decrease.

The partnership announced that the airline will use Google's AI-powered forecasting technology to identify areas where persistent contrails are likely to form, allowing flight dispatchers and pilots to adjust altitude accordingly.

Contrails are thin white streaks that form behind aircraft in cold and humid conditions at high altitude. While most disappear quickly, some persist and spread into cloud-like formations that trap heat and contribute to warming.

The trials began in late 2025 and targeted over 100 flights across Cathay's network. More than 80 flights followed contrail-avoidance routes, with Google analyzing satellite imagery to estimate a 40 percent reduction in the warming impact of contrails from those flights.