MIT and Delta research: how to prevent ‘persistent contrails’

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is conducting research into ways to prevent persistent contrails. These contrails are roughly 10% of all contrails and create long-standing clouds that trap heat and warm the earth.

Delta Air Lines is participating in MIT’s research. The search is aimed at finding and testing methods and develop tools to eliminate persistent contrails. The research work could drive significant progress quickly in reducing the climate impact of aviation by preventing the creation of persistent contrail formations altogether,

Earlier research showed that these particular persistent warming contrails appear when flying in air space with specific characteristics. Researchers found that 80% of persistent contrails could be avoided through flight altitude adjustments with minimal additional fuel burn. As such, contrail avoidance could be among the most immediate and cost-effective measures for reducing aviation’s climate footprint.

The study will harness an MIT-created algorithm that predicts altitudes and locations where contrails are likely to form. The collaboration will study the causes of persistent contrails, assess the environmental impact and test possible solutions to this phenomenon.