The FAA has taken an AI-powered air traffic system nationwide, with the goal of cutting delays and even shortening some flights.
The system, called SMART, analyzes everything from weather to controller staffing to find more efficient routes.
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In September, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy touted the new tool, saying it had been three decades since the FAA made significant upgrades to its software.
The tool uses 200 data streams, including weather patterns, flight paths, traffic flow and controller staffing metrics, centralizing the information into one platform.
The FAA explained that the tool uses AI to analyze airline schedules, weather, airport capacity, airspace conditions and operational constraints to predict traffic flows and identify potential conflicts.
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In one example, the FAA says the tool helped a flight from Tampa to Dallas save 42 minutes.
But some lawmakers have raised concerns about testing and oversight. Transportation officials say humans remain in control of all decisions. According to the FAA, the tool acts as a planning layer that works alongside existing FAA systems.
