What changes with the expansion
The U.S. government has expanded the use of an artificial intelligence tool that assists air traffic controllers, extending its use to the entire national airspace. Ars Technica reports. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced on November 10 that the system, called SMART, will be used in the airspace of all 22 centers in the country, after its first application in the capital region. The agency's stated goal is to reduce delays, curb fuel consumption and improve the traveler experience.
According to the FAA, the system cost $875 million and, since its launch in Washington airspace on September 21, has helped reroute 180 flights. The agency claims this saved an average of 10 minutes and nearly 80 gallons of fuel per flight, and it expects to replicate these results nationwide. These are figures provided by the administration itself and not independently verified in the available material.
How it works and what the limits are
The FAA fact sheet describes SMART as a cloud system that cross-references data on weather conditions, routes, traffic flow and controller staffing to predict traffic trends. The tool makes planning recommendations, identifies optimal routes and establishes the best arrival order for aircraft.
The agency specifies, however, that the recommendations are validated by a team of FAA specialists based in Washington before being transmitted to control facilities. Moreover, the system cannot replace the role of controllers or take control of an aircraft, and local controllers remain free to accept or reject the suggestions. After the first phase, according to the Dallas Morning News, coverage had already been extended to the Atlanta, Jacksonville and Miami centers; the same newspaper reports an example of a shorter route suggested for a cargo flight bound for Dallas-Fort Worth, although the agency did not identify the flight or provide passenger traffic data.
Airline support and union criticism
The expansion has the support of some airline executives: in the September announcement, the FAA included favorable statements from Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian and American Airlines CEO Robert Isom. The position of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, which represents more than 15,000 members, is different: as reported by Flying magazine, the union said it was neither consulted nor involved in the design, testing or implementation of SMART and therefore could not assess the system's effect on the control staff.
The matter leaves some points open. The material does not clarify how the savings claimed by the FAA were measured, does not specify the impact on controller staffing and does not indicate whether the union will be involved in subsequent phases. Both the system's effectiveness nationwide and the arrangements for engagement with those who work daily in control towers therefore remain to be verified.
