EuroControl Trial Aimed at Contrail Prevention Shows Some Results

As part of a pilot project to reduce non-CO2 emissions, EuroControl’s Maastrict Upper Area Control Centre (MUAC) has worked with German Aerospace Center (DLR) to conduct a live operational trial aimed contrail prevention.

Seeing that ? of aviation’s impact on climate change is believed to be from emissions other than carbon dioxide, a system of monitoring and routing aircraft to minimize passage through ice-super-saturated areas was used on 209 of their trajectories. 

The 10 month program was meant to test the viability of contrail prevention through targeted forecasting, weather analysis, and traffic routing at average traffic loads. The trail revealed a number of practical problems if an industry reduction of climate effects is desired. Notable issues include appropriate controller actions and communications, precision of meteorological tools, and real-time feedback processes. 

The trial runs were completed on selected dates at night, when a team of MUAC and DLR planners interpreted the weather and cloud coverage to find the optimal routes for chosen traffic. Once the route was made, it was given through air traffic controller instructions to help the aircraft avoid ice super-saturation through vertical clearances up to 2,000 feet. Validation of the methodology was completed with real-time satellite analysis by DLR. 

Other means of avoiding the regions, such as lateral avoidance, pre-tactical planning, or changes of aircraft equipment, were outside the scope of this trial, but assumed to have some effect if leveraged correctly. EuroControl notes that the transition from theory to practice is only somewhat completed, and hopes that the results of this trial will “contribute to sparking decisions for the future of aviation”. 

FMI: www.eurocontrol.int/