The US government has expanded the use of an artificial intelligence tool to advise air traffic controllers and help manage air traffic throughout the national airspace system. Airline executives have expressed support for the rollout, but the U.S. union representing air traffic controllers has said it was not involved in the design or testing of the AI-powered system.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says the $875 million SMART system has helped divert 180 flights since it was deployed in the airspace over Washington, DC, on September 21. The agency claims this saved an average of 10 minutes per flight and nearly 80 gallons of fuel per flight, and apparently hopes such results can be replicated across the country through expanded deployment.
“After a successful initial deployment in the National Capital Region in September, the FAA will now use SMART in the airspace of all 22 centers across the country to reduce delays, reduce fuel consumption and improve the travel experience for the flying public,” according to the agency’s statement released Nov. 10.
The FAA fact sheet describes SMART as a cloud-based system that combines information on “weather patterns, flight routes, traffic flow, and controller staffing metrics” to predict air traffic patterns. It is designed to make scheduling recommendations, identify optimal flight routes, and determine the best order of arrival of aircraft.
However, a human team of FAA specialists based in DC is ultimately responsible for validating the SMART system’s recommendations before transmitting them to air traffic control facilities across the country, according to the agency.
