Key facts
- The FAA says SMART rerouted 180 flights since its September 21 deployment over Washington, DC.
- The agency claims savings of about 10 minutes and nearly 80 gallons of fuel per flight.
- The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, representing more than 15,000 members, said it was not consulted on SMART.
- FAA specialists based in DC validate SMART recommendations before passing them to air traffic control facilities.
- The FAA says controllers can decide whether to accept SMART recommendations and that the system cannot control aircraft.
- Delta CEO Ed Bastian and American Airlines CEO Robert Isom gave supportive statements in the FAA's September 21 announcement.
The Federal Aviation Administration said it expanded its SMART artificial intelligence tool to advise air traffic controllers across the airspace of all 22 US air route traffic control centers, after an initial deployment over Washington, DC, on September 21. The agency announced the expansion in a statement posted on November 10.
The FAA says the $875 million SMART system has helped reroute 180 flights since the September 21 rollout, saving an average of 10 minutes and almost 80 gallons of fuel per flight. The agency describes SMART as a cloud-based system that combines weather patterns, flight paths, traffic flow and controller staffing metrics to predict air traffic and recommend schedules, routes and arrival order.
FAA specialists based in DC validate the system's recommendations before they reach air traffic control facilities, according to the agency, and local controllers can decide whether to accept them. The FAA said in its September 21 announcement that SMART cannot replace air traffic controllers or take over control of an aircraft.
The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, which represents more than 15,000 members, told Flying magazine it was not consulted or involved in the design, testing or implementation of SMART and therefore cannot speak to its effect on the air traffic control workforce. The FAA's September 21 announcement included supportive statements from Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian and American Airlines CEO Robert Isom.
After the DC deployment, the FAA extended SMART coverage to air route traffic control centers in Atlanta, Jacksonville and Miami, according to The Dallas Morning News. The newspaper reported that the FAA shared an example of SMART recommending a shorter, faster route for a cargo flight arriving at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, but did not identify the flight and has not provided information on how SMART may have assisted passenger flights.