Project MIST, a new collaboration between Honeywell, Boeing, and the University of Reading, aims to develop an advanced aircraft-based humidity sensor to improve contrail forecasting and reduce aviation’s non-CO2 climate impact. Funded by the UK’s Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Programme, the project addresses a critical gap: existing in-service humidity sensors lack the precision and widespread deployment needed to accurately predict contrail formation.
Honeywell will lead hardware integration and systems engineering from its Yeovil site, utilizing its UK manufacturing capabilities. Boeing will contribute aircraft integration and test expertise from Bristol and Seattle. The University of Reading will provide contrail modeling and climate analysis, building on over three decades of aviation climate research. The prototype sensor aims to deliver the high-frequency atmospheric data required to validate numerical weather models and enable emerging contrail-avoidance strategies.
The project supports the ATI’s Non-CO2 Technologies Roadmap and the UK’s Destination Zero goal. Industry Minister Chris McDonald noted the initiative’s role in advancing greener air travel, while Honeywell, Boeing, and Reading leaders emphasized the importance of improved humidity observations for future mitigation efforts.
