Google to Tweak Flight Paths to Rebuff Climate Change

Google is helping run “Operation Blue Skies,” a British government-backed trial aimed at reducing contrails by adjusting flight paths over the northeastern Atlantic. During the next two winters, hundreds of commercial flights in the Shanwick Oceanic Control Area will be directed to deviate by up to 2,000 feet to help avoid regions where contrails are likely. The program includes about 20 to 40 test days per winter, when traffic is lighter. Roughly 10,000 flights are expected in the airspace during testing, with hundreds changing routes. Google UK’s AI forecasts will identify likely contrail zones, targeting a statistically significant reduction.