Ars Technica
• Jeremy Hsu
The FAA is expanding an AI tool that offers advice for managing air traffic congestion across the entire US airspace. Airlines have praised the system, but the air traffic controllers’ union was not involved, leaving a notable gap in stakeholder participation as the agency broadens its reach.
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The FAA is expanding an AI tool that offers advice for managing air traffic congestion across the entire US airspace. Airlines have praised the system, but the air traffic controllers’ union was not involved, leaving a notable gap in stakeholder participation as the agency broadens its reach.
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and the White House are preparing a lobbying effort for a $30 billion request to overhaul the nation’s aging air traffic control system. The article identifies the funding push, but does not specify its timing, financing mechanism or proposed modernization schedule.
The FAA is deploying its first digital air traffic control towers at U.S. airports, using cameras, sensors and displays to give controllers a continuous 360-degree view. Separately, it is expanding its SMART planning tool to all 22 en route centers despite calls to pause its Washington-area rollout.
The FAA is expanding its SMART traffic-planning system to all 22 air traffic control centers. Recommendations will remain subject to human review, while reported early savings are limited in scope—leaving the program’s broader operational impact unclear from the available figures.
The head of the company managing the UK’s air traffic control system apologized for two September glitches that led airlines to cancel about 2,200 flights and delay dozens more. The company said the issues have been fixed.
ISO-Gruppe has completed a 14-month project to install its SKYcontrol Tower system at Penang International Airport (WMKP) in Malaysia. The report confirms the installation is finished but does not detail the system’s capabilities, operational status or how it will integrate with the airport’s existing tower operations.
Floppy disks remain in parts of the U.S. air traffic control system, more than two decades after they disappeared from most computers. The FAA expects to need another two years to eliminate their use, extending reliance on legacy technology while it modernizes systems across the national network.
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