# UK and Google set North Atlantic contrail-avoidance trial

_Tuesday, August 18, 2026 at 2:12 PM EDT · Infrastructure · Developing · Tier 2 — Notable_

![UK and Google set North Atlantic contrail-avoidance trial — Primary](https://media.thenextweb.com/2026/08/airplane-plane-trails.jpg)

The UK government and Google announced Operation Blue Skies, a £5 million, 30-month trial in Shanwick airspace over the North Atlantic. Google will use satellite, flight and Met Office data to forecast persistent contrails; NATS controllers may direct pilots to change altitude by up to 2,000 feet. The operational trials are planned for the winters of 2026-27 and 2027-28, with independent verification from Imperial College London and the University of Cambridge.

## Sources

- [The Next Web](https://thenextweb.com/news/operation-blue-skies-google-uk-contrails-north-atlantic)

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Canonical: https://techandbusiness.org/newswire/cOXv9V7jJcxc2wvCFfZZ8x
Retrieved: 2026-08-18T21:08:27.463Z
Publisher: Tech & Business (techandbusiness.org)