The Federal Aviation Administration is piloting an artificial-intelligence platform, dubbed SMART, to anticipate airspace congestion weeks ahead and recommend modest schedule shifts intended to reduce delays. The initiative, backed by an estimated $12 billion as part of a broader air-traffic modernization push, is being developed with Palantir Technologies, Thales and Air Space Intelligence. Supporters say the data-driven approach could smooth operations by adjusting flight timings before tickets are sold; critics warn AI errors and opaque models could ripple across thousands of flights. The FAA’s modernization record invites scrutiny: its previous NextGen effort cost about $36 billion over two decades and delivered roughly 16% of projected benefits, according to federal watchdogs. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says SMART will augment, not replace, human controllers. The stakes are high for carriers and travelers alike as the agency seeks measurable gains in punctuality and efficiency.
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— Next Generation Air Transportation System
— Single European Sky ATM Research (SESAR)
— Air traffic flow management
— Airspace Intelligence: AI for Airline Operations
