Source: The Next Web
Google's Operation Blue Skies is the first commercial trial of using AI to dynamically route aircraft away from conditions that form contrails—the cirrus clouds that trap heat. The partnership with the UK's Civil Aviation Authority shifts climate mitigation from the fuel level to the routing level, creating a new cost-benefit calculation for airlines, regulators, and the aerospace industry. Success at scale would require aviation infrastructure to optimize for climate impact alongside time and fuel efficiency.