House Democrats Seek Watchdog Review for AI-Powered Air Traffic Systems

A large group of Democratic lawmakers on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee have requested a government watchdog to review the Federal Aviation Administration's new artificial intelligence tools deployed for airspace monitoring.

Call for Audit in Air Traffic Systems

Nearly two dozen Democratic members of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee are requesting that a congressional watchdog agency audit new tools developed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to improve airspace monitoring.

Lawmakers expressed concerns regarding the agency's adoption of advanced technologies, asking the Government Accountability Office to review the development process of these technologies.

Modernization Initiative and New Contracts

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy had publicly announced the White House's air traffic control modernization initiative following major aircraft accidents in May 2025.

As part of this comprehensive transformation, the FAA announced in June that it had signed a 12-year, $875 million contract with Air Space Intelligence to provide two new systems.

Deployment of the SMART System in the Washington Region

The FAA operationally deployed SMART, one of the new systems called SMART and FMDS, on September 21 to monitor airspace in the Washington, D.C. area.

Committee members highlighted hesitations regarding the reliability and safety of using artificial intelligence in air traffic control, pointing to potential disruptions in experienced controllers' decision-making processes and the risk of AI errors.

Demands for Further Review Despite Assurances

Although the Federal Aviation Administration has provided assurances regarding safety and design inputs, lawmakers are strongly insisting on additional testing, the sharing of measurable performance metrics, and the execution of a GAO audit.