FAA awards Air Space Intelligence contract to overhaul U.S. flight scheduling

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FAA awards flight scheduling contract

Highlights

The FAA awarded Air Space Intelligence a contract to implement the SMART system, aiming for improved pre-departure flight scheduling and reduced delays using predictive analytics.
FAA faces mounting pressure from surging travel demand, airport construction, severe weather, and staffing shortages, recently ordering 300 fewer daily flights at Chicago O'Hare and extending reductions in New York-area airports.
Congress allocated $12.5 billion last year for air traffic technology upgrades, with the Department of Transportation seeking an additional $10 billion to further modernize the aviation network.

SMART system rollout and contract scope

As reported by Reuters, the FAA says the new platform, called Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes, and Trajectories, or SMART, will help ensure capacity matches air traffic demand and provide data for flight management decisions.

The system uses airline schedules, weather, airport capacity, airspace conditions and operational constraints to predict traffic flows and identify conflicts before they occur. The agency says it is intended to prevent major congestion and delays by coordinating schedules and trajectories before aircraft depart.

Air Space Intelligence CEO Phillip Buckendorf says the program relies on commercially proven technology already used by major airlines and the wider aviation community to improve efficiency and predictability. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says the change is necessary and will fundamentally reshape airspace management while cutting thousands of delays and cancellations.

Pressure on the U.S. aviation network

Airlines have been discussing the program with the FAA for months, but some carriers have privately raised concerns about how the agency will determine which flights must be moved when conflicts emerge and whether the system can be introduced as soon as this fall.

The contract comes as the FAA continues to face rising travel demand, runway construction, severe weather disruptions and air traffic controller shortages. In April, the agency ordered airlines at Chicago O'Hare to cut 300 daily flights over congestion concerns, and last week it extended flight reductions at Newark and other New York-area airports.

Congress awarded $12.5 billion last year to replace outdated technology and support understaffed air traffic control towers, while the U.S. Department of Transportation is seeking another $10 billion for further upgrades. Airlines for America says SMART should make traffic more efficient and timely while preserving safety standards and giving carriers more predictable information to balance capacity and demand.

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