FAA tees up $875M AI tool to help manage air traffic congestion
FAA plans for AI tool to help manage DC air traffic before a nationwide rollout.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is set to launch an AI-driven tool called SMART (Smart Air Traffic Management) to assist air traffic controllers in managing congestion in the Washington, DC airspace. This represents a significant step toward a nationwide rollout that would cover 29 million square miles of US national airspace under FAA jurisdiction.
The SMART system utilizes AI models to forecast air traffic patterns and detect potential conflicts based on various operational parameters such as airline timetables, weather conditions, airport capacity, and airspace circumstances. Sources close to the situation, including US government and industry officials, indicate that the system could be implemented for the three primary airports in the Washington, DC region by Monday, September 21.
This phased approach, starting with a limited deployment before a nationwide rollout, is deemed a prudent decision by Philip Mann, a former FAA official and principal consultant at Vector Strategic Consulting LLC. Mann, who previously held multiple FAA positions for 17 years, emphasizes the importance of this cautious rollout, highlighting the critical role of aviation safety and AI governance in this ambitious initiative.
Written by urgent.news from Ars Technica's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
