National Academies Call for Coordinated U.S. Contrail Climate Research Plan

National Academies Call for U.S. Contrail Research Plan

Report seeks shared models and data systems to investigate contrail impact and mitigation strategies

Artist rendering of the concept of operations for the 2024 NASA–GE Aerospace Contrail Optical Depth Experiment (CODEX) © Courtesy of NASA/Tim Marvel

May 8, 2025

Persistent contrails and aviation-induced cloudiness could be as significant as carbon dioxide emissions in aviation’s contribution to global warming, according to a report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. Commissioned by NASA and released today, the 100-page document proposes a federally coordinated research agenda to better understand and reduce the climate impact of contrails through scientific, operational, and policy pathways.

A multidisciplinary committee produced the report. The group included atmospheric scientists, engineers, government researchers, and industry representatives. Members were drawn from institutions such as MIT, the University of Michigan, Los Alamos National Laboratory, NASA Langley Research Center, and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, with additional input from commercial aviation stakeholders, propulsion experts, and regulatory officials.

The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background. The rest of this article continues for AIN Members with the full report, analysis and background.