Air Space Intelligence Inc (ASI) won a US government contract to provide and deploy artificial intelligence technologies for managing flight traffic, part of a multibillion-dollar push to make the skies safer.
The startup beat out larger competitors Palantir Technologies Inc and Thales SA. The US Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Department (FAA) announced the decision on June 22.
ASI has developed two complementary AI tools for the FAA. One uses data, such as airline schedules, real-time aircraft locations and weather information to map out flight trajectories. The other identifies areas of congestion or potential conflicts and provides solutions to air traffic controllers on how they can address the problem.
For instance, it could predict when two flights might converge and offer suggestions on route adjustments.
The US government said the new system will reduce delays, improve the flow of traffic and increase airspace capacity.
"Once implemented, we will fundamentally reshape how the airspace is managed – slashing thousands of delays and cancellations in the process,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a news release.
The total cost of the contract is US$875mil (RM3.63bil), an FAA official said on a call with reporters on June 22.
The agency plans to begin rolling out the technology this fall, with the full transition expected to be complete by the end of 2028. The FAA is working with airlines on how to phase it into operations, the official said.
"The FAA is embracing commercially proven technology already helping everyone from major airlines to the broader aviation community operate more efficiently and predictably,” ASI chief executive officer Phillip Buckendorf said in the news release.
The regulator has received US$12.5bil (RM51.6bil) from the US Congress to modernise its ageing air traffic control system and reduce technology outages, but officials have said more is needed to finish those jobs.
Boston-based ASI’s customers include the US Defense Department and Alaska Air Group Inc. Some of its early investors were Andreessen Horowitz, Renegade Partners and Bloomberg Beta, the venture firm backed by Bloomberg LP. – Bloomberg
