PACIFIC, led by Airbus, holds key stakeholders from European aero-industry and scientific and applied research, with the aim to better understand the impact of aviation’s non-CO₂ emissions on Local Air Quality and Climate with a focus on contrails. Recent studies suggest that the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) reduce both particle emissions and contrail ice crystals. However, additional research is required to study impact of fuel composition on total Particle emissions to better understand the effects and benefits of SAF.

PACIFIC (Particle emissions, Air Quality and Climate Impact related to Fuel Composition and Engine Cycle) seeks to bridge the gap in understanding aviation’s non-CO₂ emissions by testing an unprecedented range of fuels under controlled conditions. The project will ensure consistency in combustion parameters and hardware similarity from lab-scale experiments at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) to full aircraft engine tests at Airbus Toulouse.