Air France study links 3% of flights to 80% of contrail‑related warming

Based on · First reported 5 Oct 2026

Air France conducted an experiment from February to April 2026 analysing several thousand transatlantic flights to identify atmospheric zones where contrails form, noting that condensation trails appear when engine water vapor meets very cold air above about 6,000 m.
The study found that while aircraft cruise between 8 and 12 km where temperatures are –40 °C to –60 °C, only about 3 % of flights generate 80 % of the warming linked to contrails, with persistence of the trails depending directly on high‑altitude humidity levels.

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