Congressman Demands Halt to AI Air Traffic Control Rollout

The Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes, and Trajectories (SMART) system, produced by Air Space Intelligence under an $875 million contract, went live Monday at Ronald Reagan Washington National, Dulles International, and Baltimore-Washington International airports. The FAA maintains the tool synthesizes 200 data streams to predict congestion and streamline flight paths, promising reduced delays and lower costs.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy dismissed concerns as "complete stupidity," insisting the software is a predictive aid rather than a replacement for human judgment. However, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association confirmed it was excluded from the system's design and testing. Beyer argued that rushing the implementation in the wake of a 2025 midair collision that killed 67 people—attributed to human error—is reckless, especially given the FAA's ongoing struggle to fill over 1,500 vacant controller positions.