FAA extends AI-based SMART tool to all US airspace
The US Federal Aviation Administration will use its SMART AI advisory system for air traffic controllers across the entire national airspace. The controllers' union says it was not involved in designing or testing the tool.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on November 10 that SMART, an AI tool that advises air traffic controllers on managing flight traffic, will now be used across the entire national airspace. Airline executives have backed the move, but the US union representing air traffic controllers says it had no part in designing or testing the system.
How the system works
The FAA describes SMART as a cloud-based system that combines data on weather patterns, flight paths, traffic flow and controller staffing to predict air traffic patterns. It is meant to recommend schedules, identify optimal routes and determine the best order of arrivals.
According to the agency, a team of FAA specialists in Washington, DC, is ultimately responsible for validating SMART's recommendations before they are passed to air traffic control facilities around the country.
Early results
The system cost $875 million. Since it was introduced in airspace over Washington, DC, on September 21, it has helped reroute 180 flights. The FAA claims this saved an average of 10 minutes and almost 80 gallons of fuel per flight.
The agency hopes to replicate those results nationwide. In its statement, it said that after a successful initial rollout in the National Capital Region, SMART will now be used in the airspace of all 22 centers across the country to reduce delays and fuel consumption and improve the travel experience.
