Google and UK Team Up to Alter Flight Paths and Reduce Contrail Emissions

The UK government and Google are teaming up to test changes in flight paths over the northeastern Atlantic Ocean to reduce aviation's climate impact. The trial, called Operation Blue Skies, will run for 30 months and involves changing the altitude of hundreds of commercial flights by up to 2,000 feet to avoid areas where contrails form.

Contrails are clouds that form when airplanes fly through cold and humid air, trapping heat and warming the planet. They account for around 1% to 2% of Earth's warming, with the Shanwick airspace in the North Atlantic being a particularly hot spot.

The trial will take place over two winters and involve around 10,000 flights passing through the Shanwick airspace. Paul Hodgson, Google's technical lead for Operation Blue Skies, said that even small changes to flight paths could make a significant difference in reducing contrail formation.