FAA expands AI traffic management system across U.S. airspace

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FAA expands AI air traffic system

Highlights

FAA expands $875 million SMART AI traffic management system nationwide after initial rollout in Washington, DC, rerouting 180 flights since September 21.
SMART system produced average savings of 10 minutes and nearly 80 gallons of fuel per rerouted flight, aiming to reduce delays and fuel consumption across 22 airspace centers.
Airlines including Delta Air Lines and American Airlines endorsed SMART, while the National Air Traffic Controllers Association raised concerns over lack of consultation on system implementation.

Nationwide rollout of SMART system

As reported by Ars Technica, citing the Federal Aviation Administration, the agency is expanding the SMART system nationwide after what it describes as a successful initial rollout in the National Capital Region in September. In a statement posted on November 10, the FAA says the cloud-based platform will now be used across the airspace of all 22 centers in the country to help reduce delays, lower fuel consumption and improve travel conditions for passengers.

The FAA says the $875 million system has rerouted 180 flights since its September 21 launch over Washington, DC. According to the agency, those changes saved an average of 10 minutes and nearly 80 gallons of fuel per flight.

The FAA fact sheet says SMART combines data on weather, flight paths, traffic flow and controller staffing metrics to predict traffic patterns and recommend scheduling changes, flight routes and aircraft arrival sequencing. The agency also says a team of FAA specialists in Washington reviews the system’s recommendations before they are passed to air traffic control facilities, and local controllers retain the ability to accept or reject that advice.

Airline backing and labor concerns

The agency has previously emphasized that SMART does not replace air traffic controllers or take over aircraft operations. That clarification remains central to the rollout as the FAA faces broader scrutiny over staffing shortages and operational pressures across the aviation system.

Airlines have publicly backed the technology, with earlier FAA statements including supportive comments from Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian and American Airlines CEO Robert Isom. But the National Air Traffic Controllers Association, which represents more than 15,000 members, told Flying magazine it was not consulted on the design, testing or implementation of SMART and therefore cannot assess its effect on the controller workforce.

The FAA has also pointed to a cargo flight into Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport as an example of the system identifying a shorter and faster route, according to The Dallas Morning News. The newspaper noted that the agency did not identify the flight and has not provided details on how SMART may have supported passenger flight operations.

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