The Federal Aviation Administration and Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy have launched SMART, a new AI-supported air traffic management tool, with the first deployment focused on the three airports serving the Washington region: Ronald Reagan Washington National, Dulles International and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall. The system is designed to centralise operational data and help predict congestion before it builds, with the aim of reducing delays, cancellations and controller workload.
SMART brings together 200 data streams, including weather, flight paths, traffic flow and controller staffing, into a single platform that gives planners a more complete view of capacity and disruption risks. The FAA plans to use the software as part of a broader modernisation push for the national air traffic control system, while keeping human controllers in charge of operational decisions.
Initial use began immediately in the Washington area, with a phased expansion planned over the coming months. Officials frame the programme as a software overhaul intended to give airlines and controllers earlier warning of bottlenecks and more precise scheduling and routing support in one of the country’s busiest and most weather-sensitive air corridors.