With the Thanksgiving travel rush just around the corner, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is working to roll out its air traffic control AI system, SMART, nationwide. In mid-November, several local television stations in the United States reported that the system, which was launched in a limited capacity in the Washington D.C. airspace on September 21st of this year, has now expanded from the capital region and parts of Florida to cover the entire country. The official plan is to complete nationwide deployment by 2028. During a demonstration, FAA Administrator Bedford showed an example of a flight from Tampa to Dallas-Fort Worth, where AI was used to proactively reroute the flight around developing weather in the central plains, saving 42 minutes.
SMART, which stands for Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories, is a system for strategically managing airspace, routes, and trajectories. According to an FAA press release dated September 21, 2026, the system was jointly launched by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Brian Bedford. On its first day of operation, it connected approximately 200 data streams, covering indicators such as airline schedules, weather forecasts, flight trajectories, airport capacity, traffic flow, airspace conditions, and air traffic controller schedules. A report by The National News Desk stated that the system began operating in a limited capacity in the airspace around Washington, D.C. on September 21, and the FAA would gradually expand its coverage nationwide. By mid-November, reports from U.S. local television stations such as KIMT and KDRV further confirmed that the FAA was on track to complete the nationwide rollout before the Thanksgiving travel season, and the number of data streams being monitored had expanded to approximately 250.
The core idea behind this system is to shift from passive response to proactive prediction. The FAA explains that thousands of flights take off each day with “inherent” delays because air traffic demand often exceeds airport capacity. When weather further restricts available airspace, air traffic control can only make temporary route changes or even close large areas of airspace. SMART’s AI engine synthesizes the above data into a “future scenario,” allowing experts to propose route or schedule adjustments before congestion or bad weather has an impact. According to reports from Simple Flying and other media outlets, the system can identify potential traffic conflicts up to 45 days in advance and provide schedule adjustment solutions. A recent demonstration in Bedford cited the Tampa to Dallas-Fort Worth route as an example, where the system guided flights to avoid weather developing over the central plains, ultimately saving 42 minutes.
With increased automation, how will the role of human controllers change? The FAA's response is clear: all recommendations generated by SMART are reviewed by FAA personnel, and local air traffic control managers can accept or reject its proposed schedule adjustments. This technology is not intended to replace controllers, nor will it control any aircraft. The FAA also emphasized that the system shifts air traffic management from a reactive approach ("fixing problems after they occur") to a predictive one, allowing for planning hours, days, or even weeks in advance, freeing up controllers to focus on their primary responsibility: safety. Robert Isom, CEO of American Airlines, also expressed his support in the FAA's press release, stating that they are working closely with the FAA on its air traffic modernization efforts.
According to the FAA, SMART offers several benefits. Passengers will experience reduced time spent waiting on the tarmac, circling in the air, or being diverted to alternative airports. By rerouting flights to avoid bad weather and congestion, the system frees up airspace capacity. Air traffic controllers will face less pressure, and airlines will see a reduction in fuel consumption. The Department of Transportation adds that lower airline operating costs could potentially lead to lower ticket prices. With Thanksgiving being a peak travel period in the United States, the actual effectiveness of this system will be tested in the coming weeks, and the resulting delay data will provide a clear indication of its performance.