An AI tool is set to start advising air traffic controllers on managing the congested airspace above the Washington, DC, area. The expected launch of the SMART system marks the first step toward a planned nationwide rollout covering 29 million square miles of US national airspace overseen by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The SMART System and Its Objectives

The FAA describes SMART as using AI models to predict air traffic flows and identify potential conflicts based on operational factors such as airline schedules, weather, airport capacity, and airspace conditions. Officials suggest SMART could debut for the three major airports in the Washington, DC, area as soon as Monday, September 21.

The goals of the SMART system include:

  • Reducing aircraft fuel burn.
  • Improving on-time performance for flights.
  • Speeding up recovery from weather and air traffic congestion events.

A Workforce Under Pressure

The government’s plan to launch AI-assisted management comes as the FAA grapples with a multi-billion-dollar effort to upgrade aging equipment, including radar systems dating back to the 1980s. More critically, the agency is facing a decades-long shortage of air traffic controllers, a situation described as a "permanent crisis."

The workforce challenges were further exacerbated in 2025 by government shutdowns and layoffs initiated by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The stakes of understaffing were highlighted by a fatal mid-air collision in January 2025 near Reagan National Airport, which resulted in 67 deaths and was partially attributed to a single controller handling multiple types of traffic.

Contract and Implementation

SMART is part of an $875 million, 12-year contract awarded to Boston-based Air Space Intelligence in June. The company claims its existing platforms already help manage over 40 percent of US air traffic through private partnerships. For now, the FAA has clarified that the tool will not change procedures for controllers but will instead provide "alternative route information" through existing systems.