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Google’s AI is being used to tackle the emissions issue in European skies, offering a cost-effective solution called “Contrail Avoidance.” This technology allows airlines to identify optimal changes in flight paths, minimizing contrails – the white trails left by airplanes that contribute significantly to aviation’s climate impact.
“The exciting part about contrail avoidance is that it seamlessly integrates into current flight planning,” explained John Platt, director of applied science at Google Research. “Existing routes consider wind speed, temperature, and turbulence, so incorporating contrails shouldn’t be a hurdle.“
Contrails form when airplanes encounter humidity, causing exhaust soot to freeze into ice crystals. These human-made clouds can persist for hours, trapping heat within the atmosphere. Nighttime contrails are particularly problematic, lacking the daytime sun’s reflection to offset their warming effect.
Google Research’s Climate AI team, in collaboration with Breakthrough Energy, analyzed extensive satellite imagery, weather, and flight path data to suggest contrail-minimizing routes and altitudes. Test flights by American Airlines showed a 50% reduction in contrail generation with just a 2% increase in fuel use, indicating significant potential for mitigating global warming.
“We offer this service free of charge, focusing on generating the best forecasts for maximum climate impact,” said Platt. “Our success will be measured by the amount of warming we can prevent.“
Since October, Google has partnered with EUROCONTROL, the pan-European aviation organization responsible for managing airspace over busy regions like Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, and northwest Germany. Google will share AI-generated predictions with EUROCONTROL, who will then decide how to integrate this information into their routing strategies.
However, contrail avoidance presents complexities. Balancing potential emissions savings with factors like flight times requires careful consideration.
“Trade-offs between efficiency and sustainability are crucial,” stated EUROCONTROL. “Limiting flight levels could decrease airspace availability, potentially leading to delays.“
Logistics and safety are also paramount. EUROCONTROL plans flight routes and schedules air traffic controllers well in advance, involving military collaboration to determine available altitudes for airlines. While real-time adjustments based on Google’s AI suggestions are possible, rerouting flights after takeoff can be challenging.
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“Mid-flight deviations offer greater precision but disrupt network planning and increase air traffic controller workload,” explained EUROCONTROL.
Google, alongside EUROCONTROL and industry partners, aims to make contrail avoidance a standard practice akin to turbulence avoidance, significantly reducing aviation’s environmental footprint.
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