Sean Duffy slams Democrat’s criticism of FAA’s new AI flight tool
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy slams Democratic Rep. Don Beyer for calling the FAA’s new AI tool an unproven system. Duffy defends the predictive technology on ‘Fox & Friends’ with Brian Kilmeade, labeling the criticism as complete stupidity. He explains how the tool coordinates schedules to prevent flight delays and safely manage American airspace instead of keeping planes in ground stops.
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EXCLUSIVE: The Trump administration’s new AI-supported air traffic management tool has already helped reroute nearly 180 flights carrying approximately 24,000 passengers to avoid congestion, cutting flight times by more than 10 minutes on average, according to new Department of Transportation (DOT) data shared exclusively with Fox News Digital.
The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories system, known as SMART, has been operational for nearly six weeks, helping air traffic controllers identify more fuel-efficient routes and anticipate potential disruptions.
According to DOT, the technology has also saved nearly 80 gallons of fuel per flight on average, offering an early glimpse of how the Trump administration hopes to reduce flight delays and cancellations.
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy discusses the Federal Aviation Administration’s SMART technology, which uses flight and weather data to help air traffic controllers identify congestion and recommend more efficient routes. (Courtesy Department of Transportation)
“Under President Trump, we are making historic progress to revitalize air traffic control and improve the passenger experience for millions of Americans,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
Duffy also said the technology would deliver broader benefits as the program expands.
“SMART will slash frustrating delays, reduce stress on air traffic controllers, and lower travel prices.”
One example came in October when a flight carrying 147 passengers from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport to Orlando International Airport avoided expected congestion after SMART recommended an alternative route.
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The FAA’s Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories system helps air traffic controllers identify more fuel-efficient routes and anticipate potential disruptions. (Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images, File)
The flight had been scheduled to depart during a period when congestion was expected along its original path. SMART identified a route farther west, which air traffic controllers accepted, shortening the journey by 11 nautical miles and saving six minutes of flight time, according to DOT.
The technology combines 200 data streams, including weather patterns, flight paths, traffic flow and controller staffing metrics, into a centralized platform.
Its AI-supported engine helps aviation specialists anticipate where congestion could develop and recommend more efficient routes before congestion builds.
The technology is also designed to improve how the FAA manages severe weather, a source of disruptions for U.S. air travelers.
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Aviation specialists work inside the FAA’s SMART Center, where technology combines weather, flight path and air traffic data to help identify potential congestion and improve flight efficiency. (Courtesy Department of Transportation)
According to a DOT fact sheet, the agency’s existing approach involves blocking off large rectangular sections of airspace affected by storms, even though weather systems are often irregularly shaped and safe corridors may remain available.
SMART is intended to provide a clearer picture of changing weather conditions, allowing aviation specialists to identify routes around storms and determine when restricted airspace can safely reopen.
Despite its AI-supported capabilities, SMART does not independently direct aircraft or replace human air traffic controllers.
A team of aviation specialists analyzes and validates SMART’s data before sending scheduling recommendations to the FAA’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center. Those recommendations are then forwarded to local air traffic control facilities, where officials decide whether to accept them.
The initiative comes as the nation’s busiest airports handle millions of flights annually.
According to DOT, approximately 6.5 million flights operate each year at the nation’s 30 busiest airports. About 300,000 receive reroutes before departure, while 3.6 million experience airborne reroutes, vectoring or holding.
The FAA initially limited SMART’s rollout to the National Capital Region in September before beginning validation efforts with air route traffic control centers in Miami, Jacksonville and Atlanta in October.
The agency plans to continue testing the system as it works toward expanding SMART to all 22 air traffic control centers nationwide.
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While the early results involve a relatively small share of domestic U.S. flights, DOT says the technology is intended to help airlines operate more predictable schedules and ease pressure on air traffic controllers.
For travelers, the Trump administration’s goal is fewer delays for passengers, shorter flights and less time lost to flight congestion.
