FAA Expands AI-Powered SMART System Nationwide to Combat Air Traffic Congestion
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is rolling out its AI-powered Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories (SMART) system across all 22 U.S. air route traffic control centers. This expansion follows an initial deployment in the Washington, D.C. region, which began on September 21, 2026. The SMART system is a cloud-based artificial intelligence platform that integrates approximately 200 data streams, including weather patterns, flight paths, traffic flow, and air traffic controller staffing metrics. Its purpose is to identify potential bottlenecks, evaluate weather conditions affecting routes, monitor traffic demand, and recommend alternative flight paths and adjustments to departure and arrival sequences. The FAA reported that the initial deployment in the Washington, D.C. area helped reroute 180 flights, resulting in an average saving of 10 minutes and nearly 80 gallons of fuel per flight. The system is designed as a decision-support tool for aviation specialists, who retain ultimat...