Articles | Volume 21, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-7429-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-7429-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
18 May 2021
Research article |
| 18 May 2021
| 18 May 2021
Air traffic and contrail changes over Europe during COVID-19: a model study
Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, 82234 Oberpaffenhofen, Germany
Ian Poll
Aerospace Engineering, Cranfield University, Cranfield, UK
Roger Teoh
Centre for Transport Studies, Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
Rainer Koelle
Performance Review Unit, EUROCONTROL, 1130 Brussels, Belgium
Enrico Spinielli
Performance Review Unit, EUROCONTROL, 1130 Brussels, Belgium
Jarlath Molloy
NATS, Whiteley, Fareham, Hampshire, PO15 7FL, UK
George S. Koudis
NATS, Whiteley, Fareham, Hampshire, PO15 7FL, UK
Robert Baumann
Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, 82234 Oberpaffenhofen, Germany
Luca Bugliaro
Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, 82234 Oberpaffenhofen, Germany
Marc Stettler
Centre for Transport Studies, Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering, Imperial College, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
Christiane Voigt
Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, 82234 Oberpaffenhofen, Germany
Institute for Atmospheric Physics, Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany
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- Design Principles for a Contrail-Minimizing Trial in the North Atlantic J. Molloy et al. 10.3390/aerospace9070375
- Climatology of Cirrus Clouds over Observatory of Haute-Provence (France) Using Multivariate Analyses on Lidar Profiles F. Mandija et al. 10.3390/atmos15101261
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Latest update: 23 Apr 2025
Short summary
The roughly 70 % reduction of air traffic during the COVID-19 pandemic from March–August 2020 compared to 2019 provides a test case for the relationship between air traffic density, contrails, and their radiative forcing of climate change. This paper investigates the induced traffic and contrail changes in a model study. Besides strong weather changes, the model results indicate aviation-induced cirrus and top-of-the-atmosphere irradiance changes, which can be tested with observations.
The roughly 70 % reduction of air traffic during the COVID-19 pandemic from March–August 2020...
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