The Federal Aviation Administration is preparing to roll out SMART, an AI-assisted air traffic management tool, in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area as early as Monday, in an effort to reduce delays, cancellations and disruption recovery times. Developed by Air Space Intelligence under an $875 million, 12-year contract, the system will begin in a limited operational role before any wider expansion.
SMART, short for Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories, uses airline schedules, weather, airport capacity, airspace conditions and other operational constraints to predict traffic flows and flag potential conflicts before they emerge. In its first phase, it will support decision-making rather than replace air traffic controllers. The initial deployment is expected to focus on the busy Washington corridor, where congestion and weather-driven disruptions can quickly cascade across the network.
The programme forms part of the FAA’s wider effort to modernise an ageing air traffic management system. By helping airlines and the agency adjust departures and reroute flights earlier, the tool is intended to improve recovery from delays and limit missed connections and cancellations. The software’s performance in live operations has yet to be proven, and the rollout remains limited to an early regional phase before broader national use.