FAA ground stop: Ex-Transportation Dept. Inspector General questions newly deployed SMART AI tool amid ‘extraordinary’ outage

FAA grounds flights nationwide amid communications failure as former inspector general questions possible link to new SMART tool. Former US Department of Transportation Inspector General Mary Schiavo has questioned whether the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) newly deployed SMART AI tool could be connected to a nationwide flight disruption that forced all flights in the United States to remain grounded.FAA grounds flights nationwide amid communications failure as former inspector general questions possible link to new SMART tool. (Unsplash)What is the FAA's new SMART AI tool?The FAA's SMART system is a new AI-powered tool designed to help manage air traffic across the US. It collects information from around 200 sources, including weather, flight schedules, airport capacity and air traffic conditions. It uses this data to help officials spot possible delays, manage busy air routes and suggest better flight paths. The system does not control aircraft or replace air traffic controllers. Instead, it provides recommendations that officials review before making decisions. First introduced in the Washington, D.C., region in September, SMART was being expanded across all 22 FAA air traffic control centres in November, the same day the nationwide ground stop occurred.Schiavo suspects possible link between SMART rollout and FAA outageSpeaking about the incident, Schiavo pointed out that the FAA had announced plans to begin using SMART, a new tool designed to help manage air traffic across the national airspace system, on the same day the ground stop was issued.She said she could not confirm whether the two developments were related but raised concerns about possible technical problems during the software rollout.Also Read: FAA issues US-wide ground stops due to rolling 'frequency outage’; all flight departures haltedSchiavo said the timing of the new system's deployment alongside the nationwide disruption was worth examining. She suggested that difficulties could have emerged from running the new software alongside the FAA's existing systems."I don't know if they're linked, but it's just too much coincidence that they were trying to start that moving today. And now we have problems with the system," she said.She added that her suspicion was that the agency could be facing computer issues while integrating the new software with its older systems.However, Schiavo's comments were a possible explanation rather than a confirmed finding. The FAA had not announced any connection between the SMART rollout and the communications failure.Also Read: US flights grounded nationwide: A look back at the last major FAA shutdown in 2023FAA investigates communications failureThe FAA ordered a nationwide ground stop on Friday, November 13, citing “extraordinary circumstances and for reasons of safety.” The agency said a communications problem was affecting Air Route Traffic Control Centers, which manage aircraft travelling across the country.Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that FAA technicians were investigating the disruption. International flights were being handled on a case-by-case basis.The outage also affected air traffic control operations at some facilities. In audio captured by ATC.com, a controller near Chicago warned pilots that the facility had lost radio frequencies and automated systems used to coordinate aircraft movements.Meanwhile, two law enforcement officials told CNN that preliminary reports did not point to a cyberattack. FBI personnel across the country were monitoring the situation.The FAA had not confirmed the cause of the outage or whether its new SMART tool played any role in the disruption.Deep DiveSehjal Gupta is a Chief Content Producer at Hindustan Times and is part of the US Desk. She covers a wide range of stories from the United States, including politics, sports, entertainment, breaking news, and major global developments. She enjoys working across different beats because every story brings a fresh perspective and an opportunity to explore something different. Before joining Hindustan Times, Sehjal was part of The Times of India, where she headed the International Sports and US Streamers team. She reported on international sports, athlete stories, streamer news, and major developments from around the world. The role gave her the opportunity to work on a diverse range of stories while leading coverage across two evolving news categories. She holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) and believes the experience taught her the importance of staying organised, managing priorities, and adapting to new challenges. Over the years, she has reported on a variety of topics and enjoys taking on stories that keep her curious and encourage her to look beyond the obvious. Expertise: International news, International/US sports, and streamer coverage. Interests: Global affairs, geopolitics, politics, and entertainment. Outside work, Sehjal loves travelling, watching movies, and exploring new places to eat. She enjoys discovering new cultures and believes that some of the best stories and experiences come from stepping outside her comfort zone and exploring unfamiliar places.Read More