FAA to Deploy $875 Million AI System to Ease Air Traffic Control Shortage
SMART will use airline schedules, weather, airport capacity and airspace conditions to predict traffic flows and flag conflicts before they occur. The FAA will spend $875 million over 12 years, beginning deployment in Washington, D.C., before expanding nationwide.
The Federal Aviation Administration is set to launch an AI-powered software system called SMART — Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes, and Trajectories — at a cost of $875 million over 12 years, as the agency looks for ways to address a nationwide air traffic control staffing shortage.
Reported by The Wall Street Journal in September 2026, the program is the product of a firm called Air Space Intelligence. SMART is described in a one-page readout as “a cloud-based platform system that enhances existing FAA air traffic management systems.” It uses AI to assess airline schedules, weather, airport capacity, airspace conditions, and operational constraints in order to predict traffic flows and identify potential conflicts before they occur.
The software is designed to help air traffic controllers manage their workflows and more safely navigate flight routes. It will roll out first in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area before expanding to other regions of the country.
The FAA has been grappling with an air traffic control shortage for an extended period, with the agency citing diverse reasons for the staffing gap. SMART represents one part of a broader government response to the problem. Earlier in 2026, the FAA also announced a hiring plan it said would address the longstanding staffing shortage, and the government is separately engaged in a wider effort to modernize the nation’s aging air traffic systems.
The deployment of an AI system at this scale could mark a significant shift in how the FAA manages the country’s airspace, potentially reducing the burden on an understaffed controller workforce while improving the safety and efficiency of flight route management.