{"stable_id":"5e6625b2e610d4aa","slug":"american-airlines-smart-gating","company":"American Airlines","workflow_name":"Smart Gating machine-learning gate assignment","function_code":"engineering","pattern_codes":["step_before_decision"],"changed_assumption":"Live flight, runway, and gate data can recommend the nearest gate; operations teams retain disruption control.","evidence_strength":"reported","publication_tier":"showcase","freshness":"current","reviewed_at":"2026-08-23","updated_at":"2026-08-22","source_quality_summary":"1 primary; publication outcomes are reported.","caveat_summary":"Company-reported before/after result; operating conditions may also vary. Estimated, not independently audited, environmental benefit.","freshness_caveat":null,"workflow_summary":{"before":[{"actor":"Gate planner","action":"Manually evaluates arrivals and assigns among 136 DFW gates.","actor_type":"control"},{"actor":"Flight crew","action":"Taxis to the assigned gate and waits when conflicts occur.","actor_type":"control"}],"hinge":"Live flight, runway, and gate data can recommend the nearest gate; operations teams retain disruption control.","after":[{"actor":"Smart Gating","action":"Combines real-time flight and operational data to assign the nearest available gate with the shortest taxi time.","actor_type":"system"},{"actor":"Operations team","action":"Supervises assignments and manages irregular operations and exceptions.","actor_type":"human"}],"decision_mode":"retained","decision_marker":"Human decision retained"},"before":[{"order":1,"actor":"Gate planner","action":"Manually evaluates arrivals and assigns among 136 DFW gates.","handoff_to":"Flight and ramp teams","control":"Operational rules and planner judgment."},{"order":2,"actor":"Flight crew","action":"Taxis to the assigned gate and waits when conflicts occur.","handoff_to":"Gate team","control":"Air traffic and ramp safety."}],"after":[{"order":1,"actor":"Smart Gating","action":"Combines real-time flight and operational data to assign the nearest available gate with the shortest taxi time.","handoff_to":"Operations team and flight crew","control":"Gate constraints and live operational data."},{"order":2,"actor":"Operations team","action":"Supervises assignments and manages irregular operations and exceptions.","handoff_to":"Ramp and gate teams","control":"Human operational override."}],"decision_rights":"Operations teams may override assignments; pilots and air traffic control retain aircraft-movement authority.","exception_path":"Disruptions, unavailable gates, or safety constraints trigger planner reassignment and standard operations control.","removed_work":["Routine multi-variable gate comparison","Some conflict-driven reassignments"],"outcomes":[{"metric":"DFW taxi time","baseline":"Pre-Smart-Gating taxi performance.","result":"20% shorter, about two minutes per flight and more than 11 taxi hours saved daily.","period":"From 2021 test through November 2023.","scale":"American Airlines operations at DFW.","attribution_caveat":"Company-reported before/after result; operating conditions may also vary.","evidence_label":"reported"},{"metric":"Network fuel and emissions","baseline":"Taxi operation without Smart Gating.","result":"Estimated 1.4 million gallons of jet fuel and more than 13,000 metric tons CO2 avoided annually.","period":"2023 system estimate.","scale":"Smart Gating operating across hubs.","attribution_caveat":"Estimated, not independently audited, environmental benefit.","evidence_label":"reported"}],"executive_lesson":"Automation is most defensible on routine optimization while humans retain authority over irregular operations and safety.","anti_pattern":"Treating estimated emissions savings as audited or allowing gate optimization to override safety control.","questions_for_leaders":["What percentage of assignments are overridden?","How does disruption performance compare?","How are estimates verified?"],"collections":["human-still-decides","embodied-work"],"bundle_version":"1.0.0","bundle_fingerprint":"sha256:c23c6cc2b88153d008ea8fda928f632ce0011fc2d4c5036672a16e5d895bab93","canonical_url":"https://brianletort.ai/transformations/american-airlines-smart-gating"}