FutureFlight
Moonware Secures First Customers for AI-powered 'Ground Traffic Control' Software
Moonware aims to automate ground operations at airports and vertiports using artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicles.
An airside employee looks at Moonware software on a tablet while standing in front of an airplane
Moonware initially set out to develop a fully automated ground traffic control system for vertiports using artificial intelligence software and autonomous tow tugs for eVTOL aircraft, but its launch customers will be commercial airlines. (Image: Moonware)

If the urban air mobility (UAM) industry lives up to its hype, someday in the not-too-distant future thousands of eVTOL air taxis could be operating at airports and vertiports around the world, offering passengers a convenient new way to travel across cities while bypassing traffic jams. But UAM won’t be immune to the weather delays, staffing shortages, and other operational glitches that have recently plagued airlines, disrupting flight schedules and inconveniencing passengers on a daily basis. 

To help airlines and future air taxi operators prevent delays and minimize the impact of schedule disruptions, California-based tech start-up Moonware is developing a solution that it says can use artificial intelligence (AI) to automate just about every aspect of ground operations. The software platform, called Halo, uses real-time location data to automate task assignments and resource allocation, improving operational efficiencies that lead to flight schedule disruptions.