Smart: AI for the Skies
The Federal Aviation Administration has been struggling to manage an air traffic control shortage throughout the country, and one of its solutions appears to be an $875 million AI software program. The FAA will soon launch Smart — Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories — an automated platform designed to help streamline air traffic operations.
The program, built by firm Air Space Intelligence, uses AI to assess airline schedules, weather, airport capacity, airspace conditions, and operational constraints to predict traffic flows and identify potential conflicts before they occur. It is described as a cloud-based platform that enhances existing FAA air traffic management systems.
Scale and Timeline
The $875 million contract spans 12 years. Smart will roll out in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area first before expanding to other regions. The program comes as the FAA faces a longstanding staffing shortage of air traffic controllers across the country.
The FAA announced earlier this year a bold new hiring plan aimed at erasing the longstanding staffing shortage. The government is separately engaged in a broad effort to modernize the nation's aging air traffic systems.
Why It Matters
Air traffic control in the United States relies on decades-old technology in many facilities. The integration of AI-based predictive tools represents a significant step toward modernization, but the stakes are high: air traffic management is one of the most safety-critical applications of AI in government. The system must handle real-time decision support without introducing new failure modes.
The choice to start with the DC metro area — one of the busiest and most complex airspace regions in the country — signals confidence in the system's capabilities, but will also be its most demanding test.
