Airbus brings contrails down to ground level through new study

Airbus is taking a down-to-earth approach for its latest study into aviation’s non-CO2 impacts, unveiling plans to replicate the conditions found at cruise altitudes and generate contrails at ground level. Running until June 2028, the EU-funded project, called PACIFIC, sees Airbus head a consortium that includes engine supplier Rolls-Royce, German aerospace research centre DLR, fuel supplier Neste, and universities in Finland, Germany and the UK. PACIFIC is designed to improve modelling and prediction capabilities to better assess contrail formation. Typically found in the upper troposphere at altitudes of 32,000-42,000ft, contrails are increasingly considered to have a warming effect on the atmosphere that is more short-lived, but potentially greater than, that of CO2. Recent studies – including the Airbus-backed VOLCAN and ECLIF3 projects – have suggested that sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) can cut contrail production by up to 25% due to lower emissions of soot particles. While more data is needed to validate those potential benefits researchers face a challenge to replicate the results obtained through flight testing. “The repeatability and predictability are not there,” said Mark Bentall, Airbus head of research and technology programmes, speaking during the manufacturer’s Summit event in Toulouse on 25 March.<br/>