House Democrats seek safety audit of FAA’s AI-assisted air traffic tools

The FAA’s new AI-assisted air traffic tools face a demand for independent scrutiny of their safety, testing and rollout. On October 13, 2026, Democrats on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee asked the Government Accountability Office to audit two platforms, including SMART, which the agency deployed last month to monitor Washington-area airspace.

Committee ranking member Rick Larsen, Aviation Subcommittee ranking member André Carson and 21 other Democratic committee members signed the request. Their letter to Acting Comptroller General Orice Brown covers SMART and the related Flow Management Data and Services system, or FMDS. It requests an audit, not a finding that either platform is unsafe.

Four questions for the watchdog

• Safety analysis: Assess the FAA’s safety risk management analysis for SMART and FMDS.
• Testing and certification: Examine plans to test, evaluate and certify both platforms for operational use.
• Measurable results: Identify performance metrics for SMART’s safety, effectiveness and reliability.
• Deployment and consultation: Evaluate the rollout strategy, including coordination with key stakeholders.

The Democrats warned that SMART could interfere with experienced controllers’ decisions or generate false, safety-critical information, often called hallucinations. These are potential risks, not documented failures. They also questioned piloting a recently developed, complex tool in heavily congested Washington-area airspace.

Information for controllers, not a replacement

SMART stands for Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories. The FAA announced its deployment on September 21. The limited rollout covers Ronald Reagan Washington National, Washington Dulles International and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall airports.

The tool is designed to combine 200 data streams, including flight paths and weather patterns, into a centralized view for aviation specialists. Its stated goal is to help reduce delays and cancellations.

Both platforms fall under a 12-year, $875 million contract the FAA announced with Air Space Intelligence in June. The FAA says FMDS will replace its current traffic flow management system, while SMART will enhance the new system.

Controller involvement is a disputed point

The committee’s letter said frontline aviation safety workers apparently had little or no input into SMART’s development and received limited training and information during deployment.

Rep. Don Beyer told Nextgov/FCW that a conversation with FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford eased some concerns. According to Beyer, Bedford assured him that veteran air traffic controllers had designed SMART, though they were not currently working in towers.

Beyer nevertheless joined a related call to pause SMART pending answers about safety testing, implementation and oversight. In his accompanying statement, Beyer called for controller feedback and independently verified testing, with findings clearly communicated to the public.

The pause letter asks how SMART performs during severe weather or outages, whether safety review requirements were waived during contracting, and what standards must precede nationwide expansion. It also asks who would be responsible if a recommendation contributed to a safety incident.