Sustainability and Environment
North Atlantic Airspace-Scale Contrail Trial Underway
UK’s ‘Operation Blue Skies’ to redirect commercial traffic in Shanwick airspace
Map of north Atlantic airspace with red highlighted area over Shanwick
Flights travelling through the Shanwick Oceanic region, part of the eastern Atlantic airspace, may be asked to climb or descend to avoid airspace prone to contrail formations. © Google

A UK-based consortium has launched what it believes is the world’s first oceanic airspace-scale trial aimed at reducing the climate impact of aviation contrails. Initiated on August 18, the 30-month project will run two operational trials across the eastern North Atlantic’s Shanwick airspace, during which selected commercial flights will be redirected above or below particular ‘contrail hotspot’ areas. 

The Operation Blue Skies initiative will use existing air traffic control procedures to deviate aircraft mid-flight by a few thousand feet: directing them to climb or descend to avoid what Google’s technical project lead Paul Hodgson described as “pancake-shaped contrail regions.” This will occur during active trial days, around 30 in total, across two successive winters between November and February.