Empowering airlines to reduce contrail warming while not compromising safety.
Aviation's next frontier in climate action isn't just about fuel - it’s about total climate impact. The industry is actively seeking innovative ways to reduce its environmental impact while maintaining operational efficiency, yet a major and often overlooked contributor to this footprint remains–contrails. Contrails contribute 1–2% of global warming, comparable in magnitude to aviation fuel emissions, even though only about 10% of flights produce persistent contrails. Remarkably, just between 2%-3% of flights cause 80% of this warming effect, revealing the disproportionate influence of certain flights on climate change. Tackling this challenge requires precision, insight, and advanced technology.
Powered by Google
SkyPath’s new Contrails Layer, powered by Google, identifies exactly these high-impact scenarios. SkyPath now features Google's contrail forecast data, enabling pilots and airlines to visualize and avoid contrail formation before it happens - a major advancement in sustainable aviation.
As pilots navigate their timeline in SkyPath, the contrail forecast automatically syncs to show atmospheric conditions for any selected hour. This isn't just about where contrails might form - it's also about identifying which ones cause more warming and can be avoided by visually distinguishing the contrails based on their environmental effect. Not only that, but SkyPath displays the Contrails layer alongside Turbulence to make sustainable decisions easier, without compromising the safety of crews and passengers.
How it works
Google's AI analyzes satellite imagery and atmospheric data to predict Ice Super-Saturated Regions where contrails persist and spread into artificial cirrus clouds. The forecast appears as an intuitive color-coded overlay showing environmental impact across your route.
The integration is seamless. The contrail layer works within your familiar SkyPath interface, alongside existing weather and turbulence data. The contrails layer is also available in the vertical view. Hourly updates up to 24 hours ahead ensure accuracy as conditions evolve throughout your flight planning window.
Just between 2%-3% of flights are responsible for generating 80% of the total contrail warming effect.
Why This Matters for the Aviation Industry
The Contrails Layer is a strategic asset and a powerful mitigation lever for lowering aviation's climate impact. Minor altitude adjustments are often all that is needed to effectively prevent significant contrail formation, a simple action that can lead to a substantial CO₂ equivalent warming reduction. Contrail avoidance has a benefit-to-cost ratio that is generally very high. With evolving contrail monitoring, early adoption offers airlines a competitive edge.
- For airlines, incorporating SkyPath’s Contrails Layer means leading climate action with minimal operational cost for maximal impact.
- For the crews, it provides the ability to make easy sustainable decisions, without compromising on safety since Turbulence data and Contrails forecasts are displayed together.
- For the aviation industry at large, this represents one of the most cost-effective and practical climate mitigation opportunities available today.
Take the Lead in Sustainable Aviation Today
Discover how advanced contrail forecasting can reduce your climate impact. Contact us to learn how your airline can fly safer, smarter, and more sustainable, with SkyPath.
¹Lee at al, 2021. The contribution of global aviation to anthropogenic climate forcing for 2000 to 2018. Atmospheric Environment, 244, 117834. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosenv.2020.117834
