Abstract:
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is preparing to launch an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered air traffic management tool that could go into use on one of the busiest aviation corridors in the United States as soon as next week. The software, called Smart, is expected to help the FAA and airlines reduce flight delays and cancellations and find alternative routes for flights when emergencies disrupt aviation operations. According to government and aviation industry officials, the system will be piloted first in the Washington, D.C. area, and then gradually rolled out across the United States.
Smart stands for Airspace, Route and Flight Trajectory Strategic Management System. This software can analyze airline flight plans and comprehensively consider factors such as weather conditions, airport runway capacity and operational restrictions to predict future air traffic flows and identify potential conflicts in advance.
After fully covering the U.S. airspace, the system is expected to become a core tool similar to the "brain" of the U.S. air traffic control system. Earlier this year, software development company Air Space Intelligence received an $875 million, 12-year contract from the U.S. government to develop the Smart system and another supporting system.
The Trump administration has invested billions of dollars in recent years to upgrade the United States’ aging air traffic infrastructure and introduce more modern technologies. At the same time, the government is also working hard to expand the recruitment of air traffic control personnel and strengthen training. For a long time, air traffic control agency staff shortages have been one of the important reasons for flight disruptions.
FAA officials have been discussing with airlines how to coordinate flight schedules as part of the Smart system promotion plan. However, insiders in the aviation industry still have questions about how the system works, especially when airlines compete fiercely for prime time flight resources and how to coordinate flight schedules has become a challenge.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said at a Senate hearing earlier this year: "The way we currently manage air traffic is very chaotic, and we can definitely do better. We need the FAA to be responsible for overall coordination, rather than letting commercial airlines arrange flights according to their own plans."
Bedford described the technology as potentially having a "transformative impact" and that more advanced decision-making aids could help regulators and airlines make more reasonable operational arrangements.
However, the scale of Smart’s initial deployment is smaller than some aviation industry figures had previously expected. Government officials said the system was originally planned to be in a limited trial mode before the software was verified and its functions gradually expanded. In the future, Smart's functions may be further expanded to higher-level flight coordination, including strategic planning of flight schedules and flight trajectories before the plane takes off. At present, the system will mainly be used as an auxiliary decision-making tool when aviation operation problems arise.
The federal government also plans to open the system's central operations office at the U.S. Department of Transportation headquarters next Monday, according to government and industry officials.
The American Airlines Association stated that the Smart system is expected to improve aviation safety, expand air transport capacity, and improve overall operational efficiency, thereby benefiting passengers and cargo companies. He also called Smart “one of the most exciting and ambitious major initiatives the FAA has taken in decades.”
Comments