FAA is rolling out new AI software for air traffic controllers

WASHINGTON - The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began piloting its $875 million AI software on Monday at three major Washington, D.C.-area airports, promising more efficient air traffic control and fewer flight disruptions—but aviation experts are skeptical about some of the agency’s claims.

Key facts

- The Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories (SMART) software cost $875 million and is part of a broader $12.5 billion push to modernize the nation’s aging air traffic control system.

- The agency says the software will take airspace management from “a reactive approach to a predictive one,” using data to help air traffic controllers anticipate demand, weather and airspace constraints and “plan hours, days and even weeks ahead,” according to a news release.

- SMART rolled out Monday in a “limited mode” at Reagan National, Dulles and Baltimore/Washington airports with plans to “gradually expand” to other parts of the country.

- The FAA says the new technology is not intended to replace human air traffic controllers.

- The National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) “has not been involved in the design, testing, or implementation of SMART and therefore cannot speak to its effect on the air traffic control workforce at this time,” the union said in a statement shared with Forbes.

- Monday’s rollout follows a Politico report that airlines were initially very hesitant to adopt the program until a meeting between FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford and airline CEOs on Sept. 10.

Crucial quote

“If it works as we think it can, it will do more to reduce delays and cancellations than anything that’s happened in decades,” United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said in the FAA’s statement announcing the launch.

How SMART works

Every day, the FAA manages roughly 45,000 flights in and out of 430 airports across the country. Scheduled flights often run up against bad weather or other issues that lead to congestion—too many flights scheduled to use the same airspace at the same time—which in turn leads to delays and cancellations.

Historically, the FAA’s system has been reactive, tamping down problems after they arise. SMART is designed to anticipate problems before they happen. The software “centralizes 200 data streams—including weather patterns, flight paths, traffic flow and controller staffing metrics” to give air traffic controllers a “comprehensive visualization” of traffic patterns, flag potential congestion and offer solutions efficiently.

But three anonymous airline officials told Politico carriers were initially “bewildered” about how SMART would work, suggesting the FAA should “narrow the scope of this. Start, crawl, walk, run.” Robert Mann, a former airline executive who is now an aviation industry consultant, told The New York Times SMART is unlikely to address the major problems associated with flight delays, which happen after a flight plan is filed, and he suggested airlines “might come to view [SMART] as an intrusion from the F.A.A.,” since carriers plan their flight schedules far in advance and changes are costly. “I think people assume that AI is going to be a save-all, and we’re not quite there yet by a long stretch,” Katy Nastro, aviation and travel correspondent at Flighty, told Forbes. “I also think there are going to be situations and disruptions that AI just cannot predict.”

What we don’t know

When SMART will expand nationwide. Bedford said a widespread rollout would follow a 90-day testing period, but the FAA declined to answer Forbes’ question about timing. “When any type of pilot program is announced in US aviation, you tend to not hear about it again unless it actually went really, really well,” said Nastro.

Will SMART lead to lower ticket prices?

“By fundamentally reshaping how we manage our airspace and preventing problems before they happen, SMART will slash those frustrating delays, reduce stress on air traffic controllers, and lower travel prices,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in the agency statement. (Source: Forbes)