UK and Google Team Up to Tackle Aviation Climate Impact with Flight Path Trial

The UK government has partnered with Google to test changes in flight paths over the northeastern Atlantic Ocean to reduce aviation's climate impact.

Operation Blue Skies, a landmark airspace-scale trial, will involve hundreds of commercial flights being told to change their paths during the next two winters to avoid creating condensation trails, or contrails.

The research program aims to show how minor altitude adjustments can reduce contrail formation, which is estimated to contribute 1% to 2% of Earth's warming.

Google UK will use its artificial intelligence-powered forecasts to identify areas where contrails are likely to form, and air traffic controllers will tell flights to deviate up to 2,000 feet to avoid these regions.