Airline Contrail Index

Latest update: October 2025

The first step to solving any problem is to acknowledge that it exists. With the Airline Contrail Index, we track public contrail announcements to highlight airlines that have participated in trials, helped advance the science, or simply acknowledged the impact of contrail warming. We do this to provide visibility into airline contrail climate action, raise awareness around the issue, and inspire more airlines to address their non-CO2 effects.

October 2025: Of the thousands of airlines worldwide, THIRTY-NINE airlines have made it into the index.

The Airline Contrail Index reflects publicly communicated information and does not include airline contrail activities that are not yet public. Also note that an airline’s inclusion in the index does not necessarily mean it is still actively involved; we track public announcements, not whether the announced actions have been completed or remain active.

Alphabetic index of airlines somehow involved in contrail avoidance or at least acknowledging their climate impact:

AIR CANADA is involved in contrail science by participating in the In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System (IAGOS) and committed to Airlines for America’s acknowledgment of the need to address contrail warming.

AIR FRANCE has launched a webpage detailing all the non-CO2 impacts the airline is responsible for and all the contrail management projects Air France is involved in with Météo France, CICONIA, etc. More airlines should do the same.

AIR NEW ZEALAND has added contrail expert Matteo Mirolo, Director of Strategy and External Relations at Contrails.org, to its Sustainability Advisory Panel.

ALASKA AIRLINES is a member of and economic contributor to the Contrail Impact Task Force, which was formed in 2022 to allow industry players and scientific institutions to collaborate on best practices.

AMELIA, a regional French airline, is working with Thales to reduce its environmental footprint - including the climate impact from condensation trails. In June 2024, Amelia started conducting live contrail avoidance trials. In 2025, they announced large-scale deployment of contrail avoidance with Thales and Breakthrough Energy.

AMERICAN AIRLINES is involved in research with Google Research and Breakthrough Energy and is a member of the Contrail Impact Task Force. In 2023, AA is also participating in research with flight planning software company Flightkeys.

ATLAS AIR is a member of the trade organization, Airlines For America (A4A), and, through A4A’s April 2024 Industry Insight, is committed to addressing non-CO2 emissions from aviation, including contrails.

BRITISH AIRWAYS is participating in contrails mitigation research with Imperial College London and Breakthrough Energy, Carrie Harris, BA’s Director of Sustainability, says in this interview.

CATHAY PACIFIC is involved in contrail science by participating in the In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System (IAGOS).

CHINA AIRLINES is involved in contrail science by participating in the In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System (IAGOS).

CONDOR is one of 12 operators that have worked with British company Satavia to optimize 65 flights for contrail management and prevent surface warming, equating to over 2,200 tons of CO2e. Condor is also part of the German 100 Flights program.

DELTA AIR LINES collaborated with MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and Google Research to avoid making persistent contrails. In 2023, they became the first airline to set contrail reduction targets: an 80% reduction of addressable contrails by 2035 and a 100% reduction by 2050. However, these targets have not been reiterated anywhere by Delta’s new sustainability leadership over the past two years, so we assume that the airline no longer stands by them. Please prove us wrong!

DHL is a cargo airline that typically flies a lot at night when contrails are most warming. DHL is a part of the German 100 Flights program.

DISCOVER AIRLINES is involved in contrail science by participating in the In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System (IAGOS).

EASYJET participates in the big Ciconia project involving contrails mitigation test flights, and more. EasyJet also sent a letter to the EU urging them to include more airlines in future reporting of non-CO2 climate impacts including contrails.

ETIHAD AIRWAYS is working with software company Satavia and others to adjust flight paths to avoid making condensation trails.

EUROPEAN AIR TRANSPORT (EAT) is a cargo airline that typically flies a lot at night when contrails are most warming. EAT is part of a group that collaborates with the German Aerospace Center, DLR, on contrails management, which they describe here. EAT is also part of the German 100 Flights program.

FEDEX is a member of the trade organization, Airlines For America (A4A), and, through A4A’s April 2024 Industry Insight, is committed to addressing non-CO2 emissions from aviation, including contrails.

FINNAIR has published a website explaining what contrails are, how they form, and what can be done to avoid them. Finnair also explains that airlines are now required to report their non-CO2 emissions (including contrails) to the EU.

HAWAIIAN AIRLINES is involved in contrail science by participating in the In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System (IAGOS) and committed to Airlines for America’s acknowledgment of the need to address contrail warming.

IBERIA is involved in contrail science by participating in the In-service Aircraft for a Global Observing System (IAGOS).

ICELANDAIR is a partner airline in the EU-funded CONCERTO project, which aims to introduce non-CO2 impact management into daily operations. Icelandair has also worked with Satavia on contrail mitigation trials.

JETBLUE AIRWAYS is a member of the trade organization, Airlines For America (A4A), and, through A4A’s April 2024 Industry Insight, is committed to addressing non-CO2 emissions from aviation, including contrails.

KENYA AIRWAYS is one of 12 operators that have worked with British company Satavia to optimize 65 flights for contrail management and prevent surface warming, which equates to over 2,200 tons of CO2e. It’s the first African airline to engage in contrail management.

KLM is working with software company Satavia and others to adjust flight paths to avoid making condensation trails.

LOGANAIR is retrofitting ten Embraer 145 jets with advanced humidity sensors to be used for contrail studies (and more) in a multiyear project with the UK’s MET Office.

LOT POLISH AIRLINES has published a webpage explaining what contrails are and how they form. There is very little about the climate impact of contrails or how they can be avoided in the first place.

LUFTHANSA has long collaborated with the German Aerospace Center, DLR, and others on condensation trail research and trials. Lufthansa is also part of the German 100 Flights program.

RYANAIR has not announced participation in any specific contrail projects, but in their 2023 Sustainability Report, Ryanair calls out for more work to be done on contrails and other non-CO2 impacts. More airlines should at least acknowledge the existence of these impacts. Ryanair also sent a letter to the EU urging them to include more airlines in future reporting of non-CO2 climate impacts, including contrails.

SCANDINAVIAN AIRLINES (SAS) is working with DLR, the German Aerospace Center, on a study involving sustainable aviation fuels, but also mentions that SAF reduces the climate impact of contrails.

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES is a member of the Contrail Impact Task Force, which was formed in 2022 for industry players and scientific institutions to collaborate on best practices. The airline is also supporting GE Research in developing a new contrail prediction system and working with Google Research on their contrail systems.

SUNEXPRESS is one of 12 operators that have worked with British company Satavia to optimize 65 flights for contrail management and prevent surface warming, which equates to over 2,200 tons of CO2e.

SWISS AIR participates in the big Ciconia project involving contrails mitigation test flights, and more.

TUI is collaborating with Austrian flight planner Flightkeys and others to mitigate aviation’s non-CO2 emissions by avoiding contrails. TUI is also part of the German 100 Flights program. In August 2025, TUI arranged a live LinkedIn event teaching followers about contrails.

UNITED AIRLINES is a member of the Contrail Impact Task Force, which was formed in 2022 to allow industry players and scientific institutions to collaborate on best practices. United also runs contrails trials with Boeing and NASA.

UPS is a member of the trade organization, Airlines For America (A4A), and, through A4A’s April 2024 Industry Insight, is committed to addressing non-CO2 emissions from aviation, including contrails.

VIRGIN ATLANTIC is a member of the Contrail Impact Task Force, which was formed in 2022 to allow industry players and scientific institutions to collaborate on best practices. The Virgin Atlantic Net Zero Flight in November 2023 and the resulting study also involved contrails.

VUELING is one of 12 operators that have worked with British company Satavia to optimize 65 flights for contrail management and prevent surface warming, which equates to over 2,200 tons of CO2e. This was mentioned in IAG’s Non-Financial Information Statement 2023. Vueling has engaged Estuaire to understand and monitor its non-CO2 emissions.

WIZZ AIR is a co-signer of the May 7, 2024, letter from three low-cost airlines to the European Commission urging them to include non-European airlines in the future reporting of non-CO2 climate impacts – including contrails. In 2025, they also allowed tech company Estuaire to analyze their contrail data and publicize the results.

The index is updated as needed. We have not been able to find any other airlines publicly announcing involvement in contrail research or trials, or simply acknowledging the climate challenge posed by contrails. Please let us know if we have missed any public announcements from other airlines.

ARCHIVE:

August 2023: 9 airlines in the index: Alaska, American, Delta, Etihad, KLM, Lufthansa, Southwest, United, Virgin Atlantic.

September 2023: 11 airlines in the index. Added: Amelia, European Air Transport.

October 2023: 12 airlines in the index. Added: SAS.

November 2023: 17 airlines in the index. Added: Air France, British Airways, EasyJet, Icelandair, Swiss.

April 2024: 29 airlines in the index. Added: Air Canada, Atlas, Condor, FedEx, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Kenya, Ryanair, SunExpress, TUI, UPS, Vueling.

May 2024: 35 airlines in the index. Added: Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, DHL, Discover, Iberia, Wizz Air.

May 2025: 38 airlines in the index. Added: Air New Zealand, LOT Polish Airlines, Finnair.

August 2025: 39 airlines in the index. Added: Loganair