Cathay Pacific and Google are partnering on AI technology to reduce the climate impact of aircraft contrails by forecasting where contrails are likely to form and advising small flight adjustments. Reports say early trials show a roughly 40% reduction in the warming impact attributed to contrails. The project is focused on avoiding thin, cold and humid air bands where exhaust can freeze into clouds that trap heat.
The outlets describe the work as a phased effort that starts with testing and then expands to gather more operational data. The Next Web reports that a trial began in late 2025 and that Cathay has flown more than 80 contrail-avoidance routes, using cruise altitude changes to navigate around higher-risk areas. The South China Morning Post and Channel NewsAsia add that Cathay and Google are scaling trials across the Asia-Pacific region to inform broader sustainability decisions, while Google and Cathay continue refining the model with wider network data. Times of India characterizes the collaboration as targeting aviation’s non-CO2 climate effects.
