{"id":3752,"date":"2026-03-23T01:49:53","date_gmt":"2026-03-23T01:49:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/03\/23\/google-and-american-airlines-use-ai-to-reduce-contrails-62-pymnts-com\/"},"modified":"2026-03-23T01:49:53","modified_gmt":"2026-03-23T01:49:53","slug":"google-and-american-airlines-use-ai-to-reduce-contrails-62-pymnts-com","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/2026\/03\/23\/google-and-american-airlines-use-ai-to-reduce-contrails-62-pymnts-com\/","title":{"rendered":"Google and American Airlines Use AI to Reduce Contrails 62% &#8211; PYMNTS.com"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>                           <span class=\"bx-next dashicons dashicons-lightbulb\"><\/span>                          <span class=\"fw-bold\">               Highlights            <\/span>           <br \/>                         A large-scale trial involving 2,400 transatlantic flights demonstrated that AI-guided altitude adjustments reduced contrail formation by 62%, addressing a phenomenon that accounts for roughly 35% of aviation&#8217;s total atmospheric warming.                        <br \/>                         While rerouting to avoid contrails increases fuel consumption by an estimated 0.3%, Google\u2019s models indicate the climate benefit is 20 times greater than the warming caused by the additional fuel burned.                        <br \/>                         Unlike sustainable fuels or new aircraft hardware, AI-driven optimization works with existing fleets and software, allowing carriers like Alaska Airlines to realize immediate fuel savings of up to 5% on long-haul flights.                      <br \/>Artificial intelligence and aviation both have drawn sustained criticism for the carbon cost of their own infrastructure, but a growing body of evidence from commercial aviation suggests the technology can deliver measurable climate benefits that exceed its energy overhead.<\/p>\n<p>Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content \u2014 no additional logins required. \t<br \/><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"firstName\"><input size=\"40\" maxlength=\"400\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text wpcf7-validates-as-required form-control border-secondary\" id=\"firstName\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" placeholder=\"First Name*\" value=\"\" type=\"text\" name=\"firstName\" \/><\/span> \t\t\t\t<br \/><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"lastName\"><input size=\"40\" maxlength=\"400\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text wpcf7-validates-as-required form-control border-secondary\" id=\"lastName\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" placeholder=\"Last Name*\" value=\"\" type=\"text\" name=\"lastName\" \/><\/span> \t\t\t\t<br \/><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"YourTitle\"><input size=\"40\" maxlength=\"400\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text wpcf7-validates-as-required form-control border-secondary\" id=\"inputTitle\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" placeholder=\"Title*\" value=\"\" type=\"text\" name=\"YourTitle\" \/><\/span> \t\t\t\t<br \/><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"YourCompany\"><input size=\"40\" maxlength=\"400\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text wpcf7-validates-as-required form-control border-secondary\" id=\"inputCompany\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" placeholder=\"Company*\" value=\"\" type=\"text\" name=\"YourCompany\" \/><\/span> \t\t\t\t<br \/><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"YourEmail\"><input size=\"40\" maxlength=\"400\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-email wpcf7-validates-as-required wpcf7-text wpcf7-validates-as-email form-control border-secondary\" id=\"inputEmail\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" placeholder=\"Email*\" value=\"\" type=\"email\" name=\"YourEmail\" \/><\/span> \t\t\t\t<br \/><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"YourCountry\"><input size=\"40\" maxlength=\"400\" class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-text wpcf7-validates-as-required form-control border-secondary\" id=\"inputCountry\" aria-required=\"true\" aria-invalid=\"false\" placeholder=\"Country*\" value=\"\" type=\"text\" name=\"YourCountry\" \/><\/span> \t\t\t\t<br \/><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control-wrap\" data-name=\"newsLetterChoice\"><span class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-checkbox me-1\" id=\"checkNewsletter\"><span class=\"wpcf7-list-item first last\"><input type=\"checkbox\" name=\"newsLetterChoice[]\" value=\"yes\" checked=\"checked\" \/><span class=\"wpcf7-list-item-label\">yes<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><span class=\"small\">Subscribe to our daily newsletter, PYMNTS Today.<\/span> \t\t\t\t<br \/>By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our <a class=\"fw-bold\" href=\"https:\/\/pymnts-com-develop.go-vip.net\/privacy-policy\/\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and <a class=\"fw-bold\" href=\"https:\/\/pymnts-com-develop.go-vip.net\/terms-conditions\/\">Terms and Conditions<\/a>. \t\t\t\t<br \/><input id='hiddenPath' type='hidden' name='path' value='' \/><input type='hidden' name='userDeviceId' id='userDeviceId' \/><input type='hidden' name='pageTitle' id='pageTitle' \/> \t\t\t\t<br \/><input class=\"wpcf7-form-control wpcf7-submit has-spinner btn btn-dark text-uppercase py-2 px-5 small\" id=\"theSubmitButton\" type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" \/> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/><label>&#916;<textarea name=\"_wpcf7_ak_hp_textarea\" cols=\"45\" rows=\"8\" maxlength=\"100\"><\/textarea><\/label><input type=\"hidden\" id=\"ak_js_1\" name=\"_wpcf7_ak_js\" value=\"247\"\/><script>document.getElementById( \"ak_js_1\" ).setAttribute( \"value\", ( new Date() ).getTime() );<\/script><br \/>Google and American Airlines are showing that AI-guided contrail avoidance achieved a 62% reduction in contrail formation rates across a trial of 2,400 transatlantic flights.<br \/>Contrails are the thin white streaks formed at cruising altitude when water vapor condenses onto jet exhaust particles and freezes into ice crystals. They are visible in the sky over most major air corridors, but their climate impact is disproportionate to their appearance.<br \/>According to <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.google\/innovation-and-ai\/models-and-research\/google-research\/contrail-avoidance-research\/\">research published by Google<\/a>, contrails account for roughly 35% of aviation\u2019s total contribution to atmospheric warming. Unlike CO2, which disperses across decades, contrail warming is concentrated in the hours following a flight, making it both significant and, in principle, actionable.<br \/>The problem has historically resisted intervention because identifying which flights will produce the most warming contrails requires integrating real-time weather data, satellite imagery, atmospheric humidity profiles, and flight-path variables. Manual coordination proved too slow to operationalize at a commercial scale.<br \/>Google <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.google\/innovation-and-ai\/models-and-research\/google-research\/contrail-avoidance-research\/\">partnered<\/a> with Breakthrough Energy to build AI systems that analyze weather and satellite data to map where contrails are likeliest to form before a flight departs. When a high-risk zone is identified, the system recommends a small altitude adjustment to avoid it. Because a relatively small share of flights accounts for most of the contrail warming, Google estimates that rerouting about 15% of departures would be enough to yield a significant climate benefit across an airline\u2019s entire operation.<br \/>We&#8217;d love to be your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=pymnts.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">preferred source for news<\/a>.<br \/>Please add us to your preferred sources list so our news, data and interviews show up in your feed. Thanks!<br \/>Advertisement: Scroll to Continue<br \/>In an <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.google\/innovation-and-ai\/models-and-research\/google-research\/contrail-avoidance-research\/\">early test<\/a> covering roughly 70 flights, American Airlines pilots who followed the AI recommendations cut contrail formation by 54%. A larger trial, in which Google\u2019s forecasts were built directly into American Airlines\u2019 existing flight-planning software, covered 2,400 transatlantic flights and achieved a 62% reduction in contrail formation compared to flights that made no adjustments, <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.google\/innovation-and-ai\/models-and-research\/google-research\/contrail-avoidance-research\/\">according to Google<\/a>.<br \/>The cost is real but small. Planes that change altitude to avoid contrail-prone air burn slightly more fuel in the process. Across American\u2019s full fleet, Google calculates that fuel use would rise by 0.3%. The company\u2019s models put the climate return on that investment at 20 times the warming caused by the additional fuel burned.<br \/>That math sets contrail avoidance apart from the other tools airlines have for cutting emissions. Sustainable aviation fuel is expensive and in short supply. New, more efficient planes take years to procure and deploy. Contrail avoidance asks for none of that. It works with the aircraft already flying and the software already in use.<br \/>Alaska Airlines has pursued a parallel track, deploying AI not for contrail-specific avoidance but for systemic route optimization that reduces fuel burn across its network. Through a renewed partnership with Air Space Intelligence, Alaska <a href=\"https:\/\/news.alaskaair.com\/sustainability\/how-ai-is-helping-alaska-airlines-plan-better-flight-routes-and-lower-emissions\/\">uses<\/a> the <a href=\"https:\/\/news.alaskaair.com\/sustainability\/how-ai-is-helping-alaska-airlines-plan-better-flight-routes-and-lower-emissions\/\">Flyways AI Platform<\/a>, which ingests weather patterns, wind conditions, turbulence forecasts, airspace constraints, and air traffic volume to generate real-time optimized routing recommendations for dispatchers and pilots.<br \/>Over four years of deployment, the platform has identified optimization opportunities on 55% of Alaska\u2019s flights. For flights longer than four hours, Flyways has delivered fuel savings and emissions reductions of 3% to 5%.<br \/>In 2023 alone, the optimized routes saved more than 1.2 million gallons of fuel, reducing emissions by approximately 11,958 metric tons of CO2, according to Alaska Airlines. The airline has set a near-term target to become the most fuel-efficient U.S. carrier and a long-term goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2040.<br \/><em>For all PYMNTS AI coverage, subscribe to the daily <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pymnts.com\/subscribe\/\">AI\u00a0Newsletter<\/a><em>.<\/em><br \/>                   Google and American Airlines Use AI to Reduce Contrails 62%                <br \/>                   Senators Say CLARITY Act Impasse Closer to Breaking                <br \/>                   Bitcoin Dips Under $69K Amid War and Regulatory Worries                <br \/>                   Tencent Adds OpenClaw AI Agent to China&#8217;s Most Popular App                <br \/>Get PYMNTS Today, AI, B2B and more.<br \/>We\u2019re always on the lookout for opportunities to partner with innovators and disruptors.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/rss\/articles\/CBMiswFBVV95cUxPYUxUOXJFUlYwOWRlR3BFMFFoLXE1WXotLTJPb1pUdEVRV0gwRXZ2NjVDS2Z0a3d4RHJiT2dGeDhfajhQby1OWG9MMG5xUF9ONmprZm1nTVFNS2QxWDVMdmQ3OE1DemFHUHlWVzFyNFJvOGlJcTRNdFFRN1lsU1MyYkJQZlhOLXVBZzQ3T2E3dnlyemFvd3JqNHRKQUgyQjQ5aEpYQW1PdklJWDNLVThUTmdrZw?oc=5\">source<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Highlights A large-scale trial involving 2,400 transatlantic flights demonstrated that AI-guided altitude adjustments reduced contrail formation by 62%, addressing a phenomenon that accounts for roughly 35% of aviation&#8217;s total atmospheric warming. While rerouting to avoid contrails increases fuel consumption by an estimated 0.3%, Google\u2019s models indicate the climate benefit is 20 times greater than the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3753,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-3752","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-technology"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3752","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3752"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3752\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3753"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3752"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3752"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/globalnewstoday.uk\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3752"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}