As the skies get busier, will AI help air traffic controllers keep planes flying safely?

Global air travel is predicted to more than double by 2050, threatening to exceed the capacity of air traffic control officers (ATCOs) to oversee our skies safely. The UK’s air traffic control provider NATS (a public-private partnership) is, like other national providers, on an automation journey. Automated short-term conflict alert systems to prevent air collisions have been a key part of air traffic control for several decades now. Delivering transparency means satisfying two requirements: explainability (knowing how the AI system reached its decision) and interpretability (understanding why the AI system reached that decision). A digital twinProject Bluebird is working on more efficiency benefits for air traffic control and other air traffic management services.