A group of House lawmakers is urging the FAA to suspend use of its new artificial intelligence-supported air traffic management system at three Washington-area airports pending further safety review. In an Oct. 9 letter to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, lawmakers led by Rep. April McClain Delaney, D-Md., raised concerns about the deployment of Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories (SMART), which began limited operations Sept. 21.
Lawmakers Question Safety Review
The lawmakers are seeking information about the system’s testing, controller training and implementation at Reagan National, Dulles International and Baltimore/Washington International airports. They also questioned whether aviation safety personnel and airport authorities were adequately consulted before deployment. The letter calls for disclosure of safety evaluations, including how SMART would perform during severe weather or equipment outages.
“I’m calling on the FAA to pause this rollout, show us the safety testing, and explain who is accountable when something goes wrong,” McClain Delaney said in an Oct. 9 statement.
FAA Plans Broader Rollout
According to the Transportation Department, SMART combines approximately 200 data streams, including weather, flight paths, traffic flow and controller staffing, to identify potential congestion before disruptions occur. The agency says the system provides scheduling recommendations to FAA personnel, who retain authority over whether to implement them. SMART does not control aircraft or replace air traffic controllers.
The system is being developed with Air Space Intelligence under a broader FAA contract for air traffic management software. The FAA plans to gradually expand SMART beyond the Washington area, while lawmakers are requesting details about the initial 90-day evaluation, the standards required before further deployment and how responsibility would be assigned if a system recommendation contributed to a safety incident.
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