JECATS - recent papers

Concept of risk-aware contrail avoidance strategies

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 01:44:23 +0200

Concept of risk-aware contrail avoidance strategies
Audran Borella, Cameron Steer, Nicolas Bellouin, and Olivier Boucher
J. Env. Com. Air Transp. Sys., 1, 3, https://doi.org/10.5194/jecats-1-3-2026, 2026
Targeted contrail avoidance consists of rerouting aircraft to minimise the formation of warming contrails. However, current predictions of contrail climate impact are highly uncertain. In this study, we show that some reroutings that were predicted to be beneficial for the climate are in fact damaging it. We further demonstrate that the risk of unintentionally damaging the climate can and should be included in the decision-making of contrail avoidance.

Improving reanalysis weather for contrail validation by incorporating satellite observations

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 01:44:23 +0200

Improving reanalysis weather for contrail validation by incorporating satellite observations
Scott Geraedts, Aaron Sarna, Susanne Rohs, Roger Teoh, and Kevin McCloskey
J. Env. Com. Air Transp. Sys., 1, 2, https://doi.org/10.5194/jecats-1-2-2026, 2026
It can be difficult to know if a given aircraft made a contrail. Existing methods that can be applied to any aircraft either use numerical weather data or satellite observations. In this work we create a new method by combining weather data and observations together. By comparison to in-situ measurements we show that the new method is superior to previous methods.

Consolidating and stepping up aviation’s climate ambition: a comprehensive definition of a climate neutral air transport system

Fri, 03 Jul 2026 01:44:23 +0200

Consolidating and stepping up aviation’s climate ambition: a comprehensive definition of a climate neutral air transport system
Bram Peerlings and Ligeia Paletti
J. Env. Com. Air Transp. Sys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/jecats-2026-10,2026
Preprint under review for JECATS (discussion: open, 0 comments)
Aviation organisations have set varied climate goals, but misalignment, ambiguity and internal inconsistencies hinder real progress. This paper addresses this by proposing a comprehensive definition of a climate neutral air transport system: “air transport system of which the climate effects of all its greenhouse gases and non-CO2 effects throughout the entire life cycle of each element of the system is balanced”.

A machine learning approach for contrail detection and persistence prediction using airborne measurements from the ECLIF II/ND-MAX and ecoDemonstrator flight campaigns

Wed, 24 Jun 2026 01:44:23 +0200

A machine learning approach for contrail detection and persistence prediction using airborne measurements from the ECLIF II/ND-MAX and ecoDemonstrator flight campaigns
Ariadne K. Papamichou, Evanthia Kallou, Richard H. Moore, Holger Pfaender, and Dimitri N. Mavris
J. Env. Com. Air Transp. Sys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/jecats-2026-11,2026
Preprint under review for JECATS (discussion: open, 2 comments)
Contrails are thin ice clouds that may form behind aircraft, are responsible for about half of aviation's climate impact, and are hard to detect and predict. Using data from two flight test campaigns, we developed a tool that can be used with a camera mounted on aircraft to detect contrail formation and predict persistence in real time, with camera placement strongly affecting results. Using only this tool and onboard cameras, this lower-cost approach could help reduce aviation's climate impact.

Exchange rates, trade-offs and risks in mitigation options for aviation

Fri, 08 May 2026 01:44:23 +0200

Exchange rates, trade-offs and risks in mitigation options for aviation
Klaus Martin Gierens
J. Env. Com. Air Transp. Sys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/jecats-2026-8,2026
Preprint under review for JECATS (discussion: final response, 3 comments)
Lessening of non-CO2 aviation impacts on climate is often accompanied by an increase of fuel consumption and emissions. Planning mitigation actions requires balancing the desired climate benefit against inevitable simultaneous climate damage. Due to uncertainty, statistical methods are needed to estimate the failure risk of concrete mitigation measures. This paper presents the required mathematics and assumptions, and points to research needs and alternative risk-aware strategies.

Expanding spatial and temporal coverage of climate change functions: Assessment and comparison with aCCFs

Tue, 05 May 2026 01:44:23 +0200

Expanding spatial and temporal coverage of climate change functions: Assessment and comparison with aCCFs
Christine Frömming, Volker Grewe, Sigrun Matthes, Simone Dietmüller, Patrick Peter, Katrin Dahlmann, and Patrick Jöckel
J. Env. Com. Air Transp. Sys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/jecats-2026-7,2026
Preprint under review for JECATS (discussion: open, 1 comment)
Aviation non-CO2 climate effects could be reduced through rerouting using Climate Change Functions (CCFs) and its surrogate aCCFs. This study expands CCFs regionally and seasonally and enables a comparison with aCCFs. ACCFs simplify complex processes but reproduce magnitudes and most gradients, though they underestimate variability compared to detailed CCF simulations and limitations to certain altitudes were revealed. The present study promotes future development of refined and extended aCCFs.

Efficacy of Scalable Airline-led Contrail Avoidance

Tue, 21 Apr 2026 01:44:23 +0200

Efficacy of Scalable Airline-led Contrail Avoidance
Tharun Sankar, Thomas Dean, Tristan Abbott, Jill Blickstein, Alejandra Martín Frías, Mark Galyen, Rebecca Grenham, Paul Hodgson, Kevin McCloskey, Alan Pechman, Tyler Robarge, Dinesh Sanekommu, Aaron Sarna, Aaron Sonabend-W, Marc Stettler, Raimund Zopp, and Scott Geraedts
J. Env. Com. Air Transp. Sys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/jecats-2026-4,2026
Preprint under review for JECATS (discussion: final response, 2 comments)
This randomized control trial provides evidence for the efficacy of airline-led contrail avoidance to reduce aviation's climate impact. By integrating ML forecasts into standard flight planning, dispatchers routed flights to avoid warming contrails. Satellite validation showed an 11.6 % overall reduction in contrails, increasing to 62 % for flights strictly following the optimized paths, all with no significant fuel penalty.

D-KULT: data and tools for routine eco-efficient flight operations

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 01:44:23 +0100

D-KULT: data and tools for routine eco-efficient flight operations
Sigrun Matthes, Klaus Gierens, Björn Beckmann, Luca Bugliaro, Simone Dietmüller, Christine Frömming, Maleen Hanst, Sina Hofer, Julian Jene, Simon Kirschler, Carmen G. Köhler, Alexander Lau, Ralph Leemüller, Aline Liedtke, Max Mendiguchia Meuser, Patrick Peter, Vanessa Santos Gabriel, Ines Köhler, Gerd Saueressig, Linda Schlemmer, Jonas Sperling, Swen Schlobach, Ralph Schultz, Kristina von Sack, and Nathalie Waltenberg
J. Env. Com. Air Transp. Sys. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/jecats-2026-3,2026
Revised manuscript under review for JECATS (discussion: final response, 4 comments)
Operational strategies such as eco-efficient flight routing have potential to reduce aviation’s climate effect. A collaborative workflow integrating aviation weather forecasting, flight planning, air traffic control, and climate benefit assessment was developed and tested in D-KULT. Innovative developments demonstrate substantial progress on how to identify alternative trajectories but also highlight remaining challenges, including uncertainties in weather forecast and non-CO2 climate effects.

Editorial: A new sustainable aviation open-access journal

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 01:44:23 +0100

Editorial: A new sustainable aviation open-access journal
Volker Grewe, Simon Blakey, Florian Linke, Sigrun Matthes, Jan Middel, Radu Mirea, Ayce Celikel, David Raper, Feijia Yin, and Xin Zhao
J. Env. Com. Air Transp. Sys., 1, 1, https://doi.org/10.5194/jecats-1-1-2026, 2026
The Journal of Environmentally Compatible Air Transport System (JECATS) is a not-for-profit international scientific journal dedicated to aspects of the air transport system with a focus on the environmental implications. JECATS combines areas of aerospace engineering, fuels, environmental analysis, climate change, economics, aviation climate mitigation, circularity and policy analysis. It includes aviation transport-related aspects and environmental effects from local to global scales.