Air travel is remarkably safe, based on several years of performance data. Yet near-misses, including the recent close call between a Delta airplane and an Aero Mexico regional jet in Mexico City, give people pause to question whether current air travel risks are higher than historical trends suggest.

In light of such concerns, and given the growth of “smart” technologies, it should be no surprise that such technologies have entered the world of air travel.

Smart Landing and Smart Runway technologies claim to enhance air travel safety by supporting pilots during takeoffs and landings, as well as when airplanes traverse the ground space around airports. Airplane movements are under the jurisdiction of air-traffic control. Yet with human beings prone to oversights and errors, mistakes can and do occur.

Given their names, does the "smart" label make such products better? Or are such names just used as a marketing tool?

The Federal Aviation Administration tracks all air-traffic mistakes and near-mistakes. At airports, they are labeled "

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