Cathay Pacific Cut Contrail Volume by 40% on Test Flights Using Google's AI Routing

Cathay Pacific and Google have completed a trial aimed at cutting the climate impact of contrails, the ice-crystal clouds that form behind aircraft in certain atmospheric conditions and contribute to warming. Google built an AI model that identifies the cold, humid air layers where contrails are most likely to form, then feeds that prediction into Cathay's Electronic Flight Folder so pilots get real-time routing guidance in the cockpit rather than a static pre-flight plan. Across 100 test flights, more than 80% followed an adjusted route based on the model's guidance, and those adjustments cut contrail volume by up to 40%, according to the companies. Cathay says the trial shows the approach can scale across its wider network, including ultra-long-haul routes where flight time in contrail-forming conditions is greatest. The same underlying technology is also being tested over the North Atlantic through Operation Blue Skies, a UK government-backed sustainability initiative, suggesting the approach is being validated across more than one carrier and airspace. Google Hong Kong's Michael Yue said the project shows "predictive AI in live operations" can address climate impact using aircraft and fuel airlines already have, rather than requiring new hardware, while Cathay's Lawrence Fong described the deal as combining "operational expertise with world-class AI capabilities."