Honeywell and Boeing Seek Improved Flight Contrail Assessments | Aviation International News

Sustainability and Environment

Honeywell and Boeing Seek Improved Contrail Assessments

Partners aim to integrate more effective sensors on aircraft to measure contrail formation

contrails — Companies including Honeywell, Boeing, and Thales are seeking a better understanding of how contrails form and how they can be mitigated to reduce aviation’s climate impact. © NASA

By Charles Alcock • Managing Editor

March 19, 2026

Honeywell and Boeing are teaming with the UK’s University of Reading to develop a new type of aircraft-based sensor they say could improve understanding of contrails and their climate impact. Project Mist, announced on March 18, has received funding from the Aerospace Technology Institute, which is backed by industry and the UK government.

The focus of the work is to improve in-flight atmospheric sensing capabilities to increase the accuracy of contrail forecasting and enhance weather modelling. The partners did not say when or how they intend to start flight trials with new technology resulting from the project.

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