How AI Is Keeping the Skies Safe in America’s Drone Capital
Dallas-Fort Worth is a testing ground for the future of urban air traffic control
In the skies above Dallas-Fort Worth, drones are everywhere. Delivery UAVs zip between suburbs, public safety units scan traffic, and commercial operators test beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) missions. This surge in activity—the region accounts for 15% of U.S. commercial drone flight hours—has turned North Texas into a real-world lab for managing chaotic airspace. Enter AirMatrix, a Canadian startup deploying an AI-powered traffic system called Libra to bring order to the chaos.
“We’re building the air traffic control tower of the future—just without the tower,” says an AirMatrix spokesperson.
Libra’s recent Dallas pilot captured data from 200 drone flights in just one week, using machine learning to convert raw telemetry into real-time insights. The system identifies nearby drones, tracks erratic flight patterns, and even detects UAV models via Remote ID broadcasts. For operators, it’s like getting Waze alerts for the sky: sudden altitude changes or congested corridors trigger warnings. Municipalities, meanwhile, use the data to update no-fly zones or assess noise complaints.
Redundancy and expansion
With over 75,000 BVLOS missions logged in DFW this year alone, redundancy is critical. AirMatrix plans to expand its sensor network—a mix of ground-based receivers and mobile units—to eliminate blind spots. “One sensor fails, another picks up the slack,” explains a technical lead. The goal? Continuous coverage for high-stakes operations, like medical deliveries or police surveillance.
Key customers include drone operators hungry for collision avoidance tools, public safety agencies monitoring rogue UAVs, and city planners drafting airspace policies. AirMatrix is already demoing the tech for Texas Drone Company and local law enforcement, with temporary deployments tested during major events. FAA collaboration ensures the system aligns with evolving federal UTM (Unmanned Traffic Management) standards.
Beyond Dallas
AirMatrix isn’t starting from zero. Past projects include counter-drone work for Florida’s corrections department (jamming contraband-dropping UAVs) and urban traffic trials in Calgary. But DFW’s density—and its 15% share of national commercial drone hours—makes it the ultimate stress test. If Libra works here, it could scale to other drone hotspots like Phoenix or Orlando.
“The sky isn’t the Wild West anymore,” says a Dallas aviation official. “We need rules, visibility, and tech that keeps up.”
As drones multiply, so do close calls and regulatory headaches. Systems like Libra won’t just track traffic—they’ll decide who gets right-of-way when a police drone and an Amazon Prime Air delivery collide at 200 feet. The future of urban airspace starts in Texas.
