Alphabet's Google and Cathay Pacific are teaming up to use artificial intelligence to tackle one of the aviation industry's most prominent yet seldom addressed climate problems. The clear white trail left by the aircraft when flying at high altitude is composed of frozen water vapor adhering to engine exhaust particles. Although these trails not only damage the beauty of the blue sky, but also often trigger various conspiracy theories, the main risk is that they will retain heat like natural cirrus clouds, causing environmental harm. According to Google statistics, about one-third of the total impact of the aviation industry on the climate stems from this condensation. The two companies said this climate impact is expected to be drastically reduced based on early operation tests carried out by Cathay Pacific on dozens of routes in late 2025. In a pilot project, the warming effect caused by the trail was reduced by 40% by simply guiding the pilot to avoid areas of the atmosphere prone to trail formation. Currently free, this set of solutions from Google combines predictive artificial intelligence models, satellite images, and weather data to identify areas prone to trail formation. This information was then turned into recommendations with practical value — that is, adjusting flight altitude to enable flight planners and crew members to avoid specific airspace; this is similar to how aircraft routinely adjust course or altitude to avoid turbulent zones. Cathay Pacific is Google's first airline in the Asia-Pacific region to test its artificial trail mitigation technology, and the first airline in the world to test trail avoidance technology on ultra-long-haul flights. Previously, Google had collaborated with American Airlines to conduct similar tests. “Our partnership with Google brings together cutting-edge technology and operational expertise to demonstrate how data, artificial intelligence, and innovation can be used to solve real-world challenges at scale,” said Lawrence Fong, director of digital and information technology at Cathay Pacific in a joint statement.

Alphabet's Google and Cathay Pacific are teaming up to use artificial intelligence to tackle one of the aviation industry's most prominent yet seldom addressed climate problems. The clear white trail left by the aircraft when flying at high altitude is composed of frozen water vapor adhering to engine exhaust particles. Although these trails not only damage the beauty of the blue sky, but also often trigger various conspiracy theories, the main risk is that they will retain heat like natural cirrus clouds, causing environmental harm. According to Google statistics, about one-third of the total impact of the aviation industry on the climate stems from this condensation. The two companies said this climate impact is expected to be drastically reduced based on early operation tests carried out by Cathay Pacific on dozens of routes in late 2025. In a pilot project, the warming effect caused by the trail was reduced by 40% by simply guiding the pilot to avoid areas of the atmosphere prone to trail formation. Currently free, this set of solutions from Google combines predictive artificial intelligence models, satellite images, and weather data to identify areas prone to trail formation. This information was then turned into recommendations with practical value — that is, adjusting flight altitude to enable flight planners and crew members to avoid specific airspace; this is similar to how aircraft routinely adjust course or altitude to avoid turbulent zones. Cathay Pacific is Google's first airline in the Asia-Pacific region to test its artificial trail mitigation technology, and the first airline in the world to test trail avoidance technology on ultra-long-haul flights. Previously, Google had collaborated with American Airlines to conduct similar tests. “Our partnership with Google brings together cutting-edge technology and operational expertise to demonstrate how data, artificial intelligence, and innovation can be used to solve real-world challenges at scale,” said Lawrence Fong, director of digital and information technology at Cathay Pacific in a joint statement.