We need to introduce international contrail regulation
Currently, contrails are not regulated at all.
From 2025, airlines that fly within the European Union will have to monitor, report, and verify their flights’ non-CO2 effects (including contrails) once per year. The goal is to introduce regulation towards the end of this decade.
There are no public plans to pass any regulation of condensation trails in the US.
ICAO, or the International Civil Aviation Organization, is the United Nations’ specialized agency. The member states agreed to a goal of net zero emissions in 2050. However, there is no mention of mitigating the climate effect of contrails.
IATA, International Air Transport Association, is the airlines’ own trade organization. At their June 2023 annual general meeting, the climate impact from contrails was on the agenda for the first time. IATA also has a goal of net zero emissions in 2050.
More work must be done to ensure contrails management is being implemented. Blue Lines supports this work.
Photo shows NASA satellite images of contrails in the skies over the Yellow Sea, between mainland China and the Korean peninsula, on January 24, 2020 (NASA).