THE CRUNCH

The Federal Aviation Administration is extending its SMART AI advisory tool from the airspace over Washington, DC, to all 22 air route traffic control centres across the United States. The $875 million system advises air traffic controllers on managing congestion. In a statement posted on 10 November, the FAA said the expansion follows a successful initial rollout to the National Capital Region on 21 September.

The agency credits the trial with concrete results: SMART has helped reroute 180 flights since September, saving an average of 10 minutes per flight and almost 80 gallons of fuel per flight. The FAA is evidently hoping those gains can be replicated nationwide. Airline executives have voiced support for the rollout.

Not everyone has been consulted, however. The union representing US air traffic controllers says it was not involved in designing or testing the AI-driven system, a notable gap for a tool intended to sit alongside controllers' decision-making.