FAA to Spend $875 Million on AI for Air Traffic Control

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has long been grappling with a shortage of air traffic controllers across the country. The causes of the deficit are varied, and officials have openly stated that they are looking for unconventional solutions to the problem. One such solution will be an artificial-intelligence-based software platform costing $875 million.

What SMART Is

As The Wall Street Journal reports, the FAA will soon launch a system called SMART — an acronym that stands for Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes, and Trajectories. It is an automated program designed to streamline the work of air traffic controllers and make route planning safer.

In its brief description, SMART is called a “cloud-based platform system that augments the FAA's existing air traffic management systems.” According to the document, the platform uses AI to analyze airline schedules, weather, airport capacity, airspace conditions, and operational constraints. Based on this data, the system forecasts traffic flows and identifies potential conflicts before they even arise.

Developer and Timeline

The platform was created by the company Air Space Intelligence. The stated sum of $875 million will be spent over the course of 12 years. The first region for deployment will be the Washington metropolitan area, after which the system is planned to expand to other parts of the country.

SMART is not the agency's only initiative. Earlier this year, the FAA announced a “bold new” hiring plan that, according to the agency, is meant to “eliminate the long-standing staffing shortage.” In parallel, the government is undertaking a large-scale effort to modernize the aging air traffic control infrastructure.

Source: TechCrunch