Airbus leads efforts to mitigate aviation’s non-CO2 emissions, particularly contrails, through fuel innovation, operational adjustments, and new technologies. Contrails form when engine exhaust water vapor turns into ice crystals in cold, humid high-altitude conditions, trapping heat and contributing to warming despite reflecting sunlight.
In the Blue Condor project with Germany’s DLR, seven test flights compared hydrogen engine contrails to conventional ones, with four flights producing contrails to analyze microphysical properties. PACIFIC, an EU-funded initiative launched in January 2025 involving 10 partners from four countries, runs until June 2028. It examines fuel composition and engine cycles’ effects on particle emissions via lab tests at DLR and full-scale engine trials at Airbus Toulouse, aiming to refine contrail prediction models and support fuel specifications.
CRYSTAL and other efforts test sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) and hydrogen on A350 and A220 aircraft, as SAF may reduce soot and ice crystals. CICONIA develops contrail forecasting and flight path optimization; early data show mitigation applies to many flights without major air traffic disruption. University of Cambridge modeling indicates small altitude shifts of a few thousand feet could halve aviation’s warming impact if phased in by 2035, outweighing minor fuel burn increases.
Airbus engages in around 20-40 projects across these categories, collaborating with scientists and regulators to integrate strategies into operations.