Cathay Pacific and Google Team Up to Tackle Contrails

Cathay Pacific and Google have joined forces to study contrails and mitigate their impact on climate change. The airline is trialing Google's AI-powered contrail avoidance technology, which uses predictive models, satellite imagery, and weather data to identify areas where contrails are likely to form.

The trial involves over 100 flights across Cathay Pacific's network, with the goal of reducing the warming impact associated with contrails by up to 40%. The Hong Kong-Singapore route was among those tested, with early analysis indicating that small altitude adjustments can help prevent contrail formation under certain conditions.

Larry Fong, Director Digital and IT at Cathay Pacific, said: 'Aviation needs solutions to address climate change, and AI is accelerating that progress.'