Transportation Department Using AI to Identify Air Traffic Risks, Duffy Says

Transportation Department Employs AI to Enhance Air Traffic Safety, Secretary Duffy Announces

The U.S. Department of Transportation has begun integrating artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to identify and mitigate risks in the nation’s air traffic system, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy revealed in a recent interview. This initiative follows a series of near-misses and a tragic midair collision on January 29 at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), which claimed 67 lives. The department aims to leverage AI to prevent similar incidents and improve overall aviation safety.

Accelerating Modernization in Response to Recent Crashes

The deadly collision involving a commercial airliner and an Army Black Hawk helicopter over the Potomac River has accelerated efforts to modernize the country’s air traffic control infrastructure. The Department of Transportation plans to implement a state-of-the-art system designed to reduce outages, enhance operational efficiency, and strengthen safety protocols at airports nationwide.

Secretary Duffy highlighted the investigative focus on identifying airports with risk profiles similar to DCA. “When investigators looked into how to prevent future collisions, they asked, ‘Are there any other DCAs out there?’” he explained, underscoring the department’s commitment to proactive risk assessment.

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) previously documented over 15,000 alerts issued to aircraft regarding nearby helicopters at DCA between October 2021 and December 2024. In response, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is expanding its analysis to other high-traffic airports, including offshore helicopter operations in the Gulf of America, to identify potential “hot spots” for collision risk.

AI’s Role in Safety Data Analysis and Risk Assessment

An FAA spokesperson confirmed that machine learning and language modeling techniques are being employed to analyze incident reports and extract patterns indicative of risk. However, the agency clarified that AI tools are currently limited to data analysis and risk evaluation and are not yet integrated into real-time air traffic control operations.

Secretary Duffy emphasized the urgent need to replace the existing air traffic control system, some components of which date back 40 years. He criticized previous modernization efforts as inadequate, citing a 15-year contract signed by the prior administration focused primarily on upgrading telecommunications infrastructure rather than addressing core safety challenges. “We are not going to pass the buck. We’re actually going to fix it,” Duffy asserted during a recent press briefing.

Challenges and Industry Implications

The planned overhaul faces significant obstacles, including an estimated cost of $12.5 billion and the complexity of deploying new technologies and facilities across the national airspace system. These challenges have drawn scrutiny from both the public and industry stakeholders concerned about potential delays and the implications for air travel safety.

As the Department of Transportation advances its modernization agenda, aviation industry competitors are expected to harness AI and related technologies to enhance safety and operational efficiency, while addressing growing public demand for reliable and secure air travel.

In a related development, the FAA has imposed permanent restrictions on helicopter traffic near Washington, D.C., following the fatal collision, underscoring the critical nature of the ongoing efforts to upgrade the nation’s air traffic control capabilities.