FAA to deploy AI system SMART for 875 million dollars to predict air traffic delays
The FAA is deploying the AI system SMART from Air Space Intelligence for 875 million dollars over 12 years to predict and prevent air traffic delays. Launch in the Washington D.C. area, with controllers remaining responsible for safety.
The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has approved the purchase of the AI system SMART (Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes, and Trajectories) from the company Air Space Intelligence. According to the Wall Street Journal, cited by TechCrunch, the FAA will pay 875 million dollars for the software under a twelve-year contract.
SMART is described as a cloud platform that extends the FAA's existing air traffic control systems. According to the company, the software analyzes airline flight schedules, weather, airport capacity, airspace status, and other operational constraints in order to predict the course of traffic and identify potential conflicts before they occur. The system processes hundreds of real-time data streams with a focus on preventing delays. Deployment will begin in the Washington D.C. area and will subsequently expand to other regions of the US.
According to sources, human air traffic controllers remain fully responsible for traffic safety — the system serves as a supporting analytical tool, not a replacement for decision-making. The step follows the FAA's earlier plan to address the long-term shortage of air traffic control staff and the broader modernization of outdated air transportation systems in the US.
Why it matters
It shows how state institutions in critical infrastructure are deploying AI as a supporting analytical tool alongside human operators, rather than as their replacement — a model relevant also for companies considering AI in operationally critical processes. For passengers and airlines, it could over time mean fewer delays thanks to early prediction of traffic conflicts, though the concrete benefit has not yet been demonstrated.
What was added since the original report
Verified updates
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The SMART system has actually been launched into operation (not merely planned); The system analyzes hundreds of air traffic data streams in real time; The primary goal is to prevent air traffic delays; Human air traffic controllers remain fully responsible for safety (a new aspect of control); The system is already operational (not in a pilot phase)
- The SMART system has actually been launched into operation (not merely planned)
- The system analyzes hundreds of air traffic data streams in real time
- The primary goal is to prevent air traffic delays
- Human air traffic controllers remain fully responsible for safety (a new aspect of control)
- The system is already operational (not in a pilot phase)
Relevant practical impact
What this means
For a business
This is a public procurement contract of the US FAA authority, not a commercially available product, but it illustrates the model of a large multi-year contract for AI software in critical infrastructure, which companies in the transportation and logistics sector can follow as a reference case.
ProcessesCheck the original
Event sources
confirmed by 2 independent sources · 2 publishers, 2 independent. We count feeds from the same owner only once.