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FAA's AI-powered air traffic management system could debut in September
The FAA will begin live tests of an AI air traffic system called SMART in September, focusing on high-altitude airspace above 24,000 feet. The system predicts conditions up to six months ahead to cut costly last-minute reroutes and holding patterns.
The Federal Aviation Administration will begin operational demonstrations of an AI-powered air traffic management system in September, targeting the high-altitude en route airspace where traffic complexity and weather interactions create significant operational costs for airlines. The system, called Strategic Management of Airspace Routing Trajectories (SMART), is designed to predict weather, traffic, and airspace conditions up to six months in advance.
Steve Fulton, an FAA senior certification advisor and technical pilot, told Aviation Week that the deployment is on track. "SMART's initial operational demonstration will focus on en route airspace 24,000 feet and above," he said. The goal is to sharpen trajectory predictions and support strategic deconfliction before aircraft enter congested corridors.
Human controllers stay in the loop
The FAA views SMART as a workload reduction tool, not a replacement for human judgment. Controllers will retain responsibility for safety-critical functions and aircraft separation. Fulton said the system aims to shift airspace management from reactive intervention to proactive planning, which could reduce last-minute reroutes and holding patterns that inflate fuel costs.
Contract award imminent
Officials said the agency is close to awarding the main SMART contract. Industry sources point to Air Space Intelligence (ASI) as a likely lead contender. The contract will deliver the first operational capability and lay groundwork for broader deployment across U.S. airspace.
Why this matters for Executives and Strategy
For airline and logistics leaders, SMART signals a move toward predictive, data-driven airspace management that could lower delay-related costs, improve schedule reliability, and cut fuel consumption. The FAA's willingness to deploy AI in safety-critical infrastructure also indicates a growing federal market for vendors that can meet both technical and regulatory demands. Early visibility into the system's design and contract timeline lets strategists assess partnership or cost-saving opportunities before the technology scales.