Google and the British government have launched Operation Blue Skies, a £5 million pilot program testing whether artificial intelligence can help reduce the climate impact of condensation trails left by aircraft in the sky.
The 30-month initiative will focus on Shanwick airspace, a vast region over the North Atlantic northwest of Ireland that serves as a major corridor for flights between Europe and North America. This zone is estimated to account for roughly 5% of the global warming impact caused by aircraft contrails.
Contrails form when hot engine exhaust meets cold, humid air at high altitude. While some dissipate quickly, others persist under certain atmospheric conditions, spreading into thin cirrus clouds that trap heat in the atmosphere. Research suggests this effect accounts for approximately one-third of aviation's total climate impact.
