Cathay Pacific expands contrail-avoidance trials with Google across Asia routes

Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific will partner with Google and non-governmental organisation Contrails.org to conduct a second phase of randomised controlled trials targeting ultra-long-haul flights across Asia and transpacific routes, according to Kemal Armada, product manager for climate and AI at Google.

Early results show 40% reduction in warming impact

The expansion builds on initial tests that reduced contrail warming impact by about 40 per cent. Condensation trails, or contrails, form when aircraft fly through cold, humid patches of air, trapping atmospheric heat and accounting for roughly one-third of aviation's total climate impact, Armada said.

Cathay Pacific became the first commercial airline in the Asia-Pacific region to test the AI-powered technology in live operations and the first globally to trial contrail avoidance on ultra-long-haul routes, said Michael Yue, managing director and general manager at Google Hong Kong.

Predictive AI targets cost-effective mitigation

"It gives us a great opportunity to use predictive AI and to find cost-effective, scalable ways to mitigate the impact of contrails on the overall climate impact," Yue said. The trials use AI to steer aircraft away from contrail-forming zones, with data used to inform broader sustainability decisions.

"With this, we are going to expand our partnership into its new phase, where we are going to do a much larger trial that is going to include ultra long-haul flights," Armada said.

Source: South China Morning Post