🚀 LATEST: Global Aviation News is now Live ✈️ TRACKER: Spot any aircraft, anywhere 📩 SUBSCRIBE: Get the Daily Aviation Briefing

Thales' AMELIA Project Highlights Potential for Contrail Avoidance to Reduce Climate Impact

Thales, in partnership with French aerospace entities, has completed the AMELIA project, demonstrating the feasibility of real-time contrail avoidance. Using an Airbus A350, the system successfully predicted ice-supersaturated regions where contrails form. The flight management system then suggested minor altitude changes, typically around 2,000 feet, to bypass these areas. The trials confirmed that this can be achieved with a minimal fuel penalty of less than 1%. This technology presents a significant near-term solution to reduce aviation's non-CO2 climate impact, which is a major contributor to global warming.

Official Source: https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airports-networks/thales-amelia-project-highlights-contrail-avoidance-potential