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Japan Airlines and partners commence atmospheric observations using the Boeing 787-9
December 4th 2025
Japan Airlines (JAL), JAL Foundation, Meteorological Research Institute of the Japan Meteorological Agency (MRI), National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), and JAMCO Corporation (JAMCO) jointly announce that the aircraft-based atmospheric observation project, "CONTRAIL," will commence atmospheric observations using the Boeing 787-9 aircraft starting December 4, 2025. Read More » Since the project’s inception, JAL’s aircraft and network have been used to measure greenhouse gases in the upper atmosphere. Recently, the scope and frequency of atmospheric observations have decreased, as JAL’s main aircraft, the Boeing 777, are gradually being phased out. To address this, the project will use the new-generation aircraft in JAL’s fleet, Boeing 787-9. The first one, with registration JA868J, has been modified to host two observational instruments — the Continuous CO₂ Measuring Equipment (CME) and the Automatic Air Sampling Equipment. The aircraft will have the special livery and will be used on flights from Tokyo Narita to the United States, Germany, and Malaysia. JAL said modifications of four more aircraft are planned within FY2025, which will further strengthen the observation system. The operation of the JAL 787-9 also allows resumption of observations over India and equatorial regions. For the first time, the observations will also be conducted over the Middle East region.
