FAA Launches AI System to Predict Flight Delays.
The FAA launched its SMART air traffic management system Monday at three Washington-region airports. The AI tool advises human controllers on congestion before flights depart.
- $875 million contract was awarded to Air Space Intelligence in June 2026.
- 12-year contract covers the SMART system and a broader data platform.
- SMART can flag congestion issues days, weeks, or months in advance.
- 11,000 certified controllers are currently on staff; the FAA plans to reach 12,563 by 2028.
Why it matters: The launch comes roughly 20 months after a midair collision near Reagan National killed 67 people, putting the FAA's air traffic systems under sustained scrutiny.
- SMART is part of a $12.5 billion overhaul that also includes new radars, radios, and communication lines.
- The FAA says human controllers retain final authority over aircraft separation; the system only makes recommendations.
How 8 sources split on this story
Where they split: Whether SMART can meaningfully improve safety and efficiency or will fall short while deeper problems — staffing shortages and unimplemented safety recommendations — go unresolved.
Center coverage, 5 sources: The center treats SMART as a significant but unproven step, giving prominent space to a former controller's skepticism about staffing shortfalls and to the controllers' union's arm's-length statement.
NPR3hAviation regulators turn to AI to help manage the nation's airspaceNOTNOTUS2hFAA Launches AI Air Traffic Control Tool at D.C. Airports - The Washington Sun
Reuters1hFAA begins use of AI tool in bid to reduce flight delays
The Hill1hFAA rolls out air traffic AI tool in Washington regionTNDThe National Desk4hFAA to launch AI system to predict flight delays before takeoff
Right coverage, 2 sources: The right frames the launch as a concrete policy achievement by Transportation Secretary Duffy, foregrounding the human-oversight safeguards and the January 2025 collision as the impetus for action.
What’s next: The 90-day Washington-area pilot will run before broader national deployment begins.
- Full nationwide rollout is targeted for 2028, headquartered in Warrenton, Virginia.
- Will SMART's performance during the 90-day pilot meet the FAA's congestion-reduction claims?
- How will the air traffic controllers' union, which was not involved in SMART's design or testing, respond as implementation expands?
- When will the National Transportation Safety Board's 50 post-collision safety recommendations be fully implemented?