Delta works with MIT to eliminate persistent contrails

Delta Air Lines is partnering with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics on research that will use the airline’s data to develop an algorithm that predicts the formation of persistent contrails, long-lived clouds that contribute to global warming. “Much of the focus on climate within the aviation field is understandably on carbon dioxide, but contrail avoidance has the potential to greatly reduce the environmental impact of air travel quickly and at low cost,” said Steven Barrett, director of MIT’s Laboratory for Aviation and the Environment.