Thermal pollution from nuclear power plant thermal discharge is a significant environmental concern in the sustainable development of nuclear energy. Airborne infrared remote sensing technology, with its unique advantages such as high sensitivity, high resolution, and quantitative inversion capabilities, has become an important monitoring method in this field. Based on the analysis of key performance indicators of airborne infrared observation of thermal discharge, this paper systematically reviews the development history and typical applications of airborne infrared monitoring of thermal discharge both domestically and internationally, and elaborates on core aspects such as radiometric calibration, geometric correction, and temperature inversion. Building an integrated space-air-ground collaborative monitoring network and deeply integrating artificial intelligence technology are inevitable trends in promoting the operationalization and intelligentization of nuclear power plant thermal discharge monitoring in China.