FAA Plans $875 Million AI System to Improve Air Traffic Management
The FAA plans to deploy an $875 million AI-powered system, SMART, to help air traffic controllers manage flight operations.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is preparing to launch an $875 million artificial intelligence system to help air traffic controllers manage flight operations as the agency continues to face a nationwide staffing shortage.
Called Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes, and Trajectories (SMART), the cloud-based platform will use AI to analyse airline schedules, weather conditions, airport capacity, airspace conditions, and operational limits to predict traffic flows and identify potential conflicts.
The FAA’s air traffic controller shortage has been examined by the Government Accountability Office and Brookings, which highlighted multiple workforce challenges affecting the aviation sector.
According to The Wall Street Journal, SMART will first be deployed in the Washington, D.C., area before expanding to other regions. The FAA says the system will enhance existing air traffic tools, according to its SMART program overview.
The AI project will operate alongside the FAA’s separate workforce efforts, including a new air traffic controller hiring plan. The agency says SMART is intended to support controllers by improving decision-making, not replace them.
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