Cathay Pacific tests Google AI that dramatically cuts airplane contrails
tiny altitude shifts slash environmental impact by 40% in early trials

Date:
Tue, 08 Sep 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Description:
Google is expanding its AI-driven contrail reduction project to a new part of the world.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter Google's contrail mitigation tech is expanding to a new region It uses AI to get planes to avoid cold, humid air Contrails account for a third of aviation's impact on the climate Following similar projects across US airspace and the North Atlantic ocean , Google is partnering with the Cathay-Pacific airline to test its AI-powered contrail (condensation trail) mitigation technology on flights across the Asia-Pacific region.

Contrails are the thin, ice-crystal streaks of cloud that form behind planes when they hit cold, humid air. Some of these contrails can persist in the atmosphere, eventually spreading into cloud-like formations that stop heat escaping to space. It's thought that contrails account for around a third of the total climate impact of the aviation industry. Google's idea is to use AI algorithms to nudge flights around the areas of cold and humid air that contrails need to form. Early trials with 80 Cathay-Pacific flights have led to a roughly 40% reduction in the warming impact of contrails, and now the system is being rolled out across the airline's whole network. Latest Videos From TechRadar Watch full video here:

"Aircraft adjust their altitude slightly to steer clear of cold, humid atmospheric zones where warming contrails are likely to form, much like
pilots do to navigate around turbulence," explains the Google team in a blog post . Available, scalable, cost-effective The tech has already been tested
on a small number of Cathay Pacific flights (Image credit: Cathay Pacific) According to Google, the contrail-avoiding tweaks that AI recommends for flights won't have any impact on passengers and flight safety, and are in
line with the routine adjustments made to flight paths for other operational reasons. You may like Google and the UK government are looking to remove aircraft contrails using AI UN urges AI giants to reveal full extent of environmental damage Google Cloud VP explains why everyone from big
businesses to start-ups can benefit from the AI age

The changes to flight routes are based on a combination of data collected
from satellite imagery, weather forecasts, and Google's AI prediction technology. The aim is to get information relayed to the cockpit as early as possible, which will be delivered through in-flight Wi-Fi "without interrupting standard cockpit workflows".

Also in on the scheme is the Contrails.org non-profit, which promotes the use of contrail mitigation technology. According to the organization's figures, adjusting the routes of 5% of flights could avoid up to 80% of contrail-related warming and the Asia-Pacific region is currently the
fastest growing aviation market in the world. Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

"Contrail mitigation remains one of the most immediately available, scalable, and cost-effective ways to reduce aviation's climate footprint, and it can
get started now, with today's aircrafts and fuel," says Google. The best laptops for all budgets Our top picks, based on real-world testing and comparisons

Read our full guide to the best laptops 1. Best overall: Apple MacBook Air 13-inch M5 2. Best budget: Apple MacBook Neo 3. Best Windows 11 laptop Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch 4. Best thin and light: Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i 5. Best Ultrabook Asus Zenbook S 16 Follow TechRadar on Google News and add
us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds.



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/ai-platforms-assistants/cathay-pacific-tests-google- ai-that-dramatically-cuts-airplane-contrails-tiny-altitude-shifts-slash-enviro nmental-impact-by-40-percent-in-early-trials


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)