Posted:

The FAAâÂÂs plan to fix air traffic? $875 million worth of AI
The Federal Aviation Administration has been struggling to manage an air traffic control shortage throughout the country. The reasons for the shortage are diverse, but the government has made it known that itâÂÂs on the lookout for innovative solutions to the problem.
One of those solutions appears to be an $875 million AI software program that is expected to help air traffic controllers manage their workflows and more safely navigate flight routes.
The Wall Street Journal reports that the FAA will soon launch Smart, which stands for Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories â an automated software program designed to help streamline air traffic operations.
A one-page readout on the program describes Smart as âÂÂa cloud-based platform system that enhances existing FAA air traffic management systems.â It adds that the program uses AI to assess âÂÂairline schedules, weather, airport capacity, airspace conditions, and operational constraints to predict traffic flows and identify potential conflicts before they occur.âÂÂ
Smart, the product of a firm called Air Space Intelligence, will cost the government that amount over a 12-year period, the outlet writes. The software will roll out in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area first before expanding to other regions, it says.
Earlier this year, the FAA also announced a âÂÂbold, newâ hiring plan that the agency said would âÂÂerase the longstanding staffing shortage,â and the government is separately engaged in a broad effort to modernize the nationâÂÂs aging air traffic systems.
Topics
