Japan Airlines upgrades CONTRAIL atmospheric observation fleet to Boeing 787-9

Japan Airlines (JAL) is transitioning its atmospheric observation aircraft to the Boeing 787-9, with five such aircraft to be modified this fiscal year. This move aims to resume observations in India and equatorial regions and initiate new measurements in the Middle East. The CONTRAIL project, ongoing for over 30 years, collects greenhouse gas data from high altitudes. The switch from the Boeing 777 fleet to the 787-9 is necessitated by the retirement of the older aircraft, enabling broader international route coverage for data collection. The first modified 787-9, featuring special CONTRAIL livery, will begin its observation flights on December 4th. This project has gathered over 30,000 data points from approximately 22,000 flights, contributing significantly to global atmospheric research.