FAA Launches SMART AI Tool to Reduce Flight Delays

The Federal Aviation Administration launched a limited 90-day pilot of an artificial intelligence tool called Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories (SMART) on September 21, 2026. Developed by Air Space Intelligence under a 12-year, $875 million contract, the cloud-based system integrates approximately 200 data streams—including weather, flight paths, and staffing metrics—to predict traffic flows and recommend routing alternatives to prevent congestion.

The pilot program is centered at the FAA Air Traffic Control System Command Center in Warrenton, Virginia, and serves Ronald Reagan Washington National, Dulles International, and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall airports. The initiative follows a January 2025 midair collision in Washington that killed 67 people, with the National Transportation Safety Board attributing the disaster to FAA failures. The agency aims for a full nationwide rollout by 2028 as part of a broader $12.5 billion modernization effort.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford emphasized that the technology is designed to assist human controllers rather than replace them, noting that all AI recommendations require human review. While CEOs from major airlines expressed initial anxiety over the rollout, Bedford stated they became more comfortable after reviewing the tool. Conversely, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association criticized its exclusion from the design and testing process and argued that AI cannot resolve systemic staffing shortages.