Aviation regulators turn to AI to help manage the nation's airspace

The Federal Aviation Administration launched an ambitious $875-million-dollar push to make the U.S. airspace more efficient. But critics say it won't solve bigger problems with air traffic control.

<img src='https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/1024x675+0+0/resize/1024x675!/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F33%2Ff9%2Fa1ba379c412caa70582f71d4c63f%2Fgettyimages-2239675235.jpg' alt='An American Eagle plane takes off from Hollywood Burbank Airport in October 2025 in Burbank, California.'/><p>The Federal Aviation Administration launched an ambitious $875-million-dollar push to make the U.S. airspace more efficient. But critics say it won't solve bigger problems with air traffic control.</p><p>(Image credit: Mario Tama)</p><img src='https://media.npr.org/include/images/tracking/npr-rss-pixel.png?story=nx-s1-5976816' />