FAA SMART AI tool could begin Washington-area advisory test
The FAA’s reported SMART AI tool would offer route alternatives through existing systems, without changing procedures for controllers or airlines.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
3 min read
The FAA SMART AI tool could begin a limited advisory deployment around Washington’s three major airports as soon as Sept. 21, according to reporting by Ars Technica. The proposed test matters because the system would offer traffic-flow forecasts and alternative route information through existing FAA systems, while leaving controller and airline procedures unchanged.
Ars Technica reported that government and industry officials told The Wall Street Journal the initial Washington-area use could start on that date. The Federal Aviation Administration has not independently confirmed the reported start date, contract details or whether the pilot is underway in the material available for review.
What would the FAA SMART AI tool do?
SMART is intended to analyze airline schedules, weather, airport capacity, airspace conditions and other operating constraints to anticipate traffic flows and identify possible conflicts, Ars Technica reported. The information is meant to give the FAA, airlines and aircraft operators a common view when considering departure times and routes.
Politico reported, citing anonymous airline officials, that concerns eased after the FAA told the industry the system’s alternative-route information would be delivered through existing systems. Under that account, the information would not become new instructions for controllers or airlines, and the rollout would not alter their procedures.
That makes the reported first use a traffic-management advice tool rather than an independent system directing aircraft. The FAA has not disclosed the types of AI models used by SMART, according to Ars Technica.
Contract also includes a separate flow-management system
Ars Technica reported that SMART is part of a 12-year, $875 million contract awarded in June to Boston-based Air Space Intelligence. The same reported award includes development of Flow Management Data and Services, a replacement for the system used at the FAA’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center in Virginia.
The reported Washington deployment would be a first step toward a broader national rollout. FAA data shows the National Airspace System covered 29.4 million square miles and handled about 15.7 million flights in fiscal 2023, underscoring the scale of any nationwide system.
What is still unknown?
The reporting describes goals such as lower fuel burn, better on-time performance and faster recovery from weather or congestion disruptions. Those are objectives, not results from live use.
Philip Mann, a former FAA employee who advises on aviation safety and AI governance, told Ars Technica that narrowing the first deployment reduces uncertainty. He said the important evidence for any expansion would include performance during real workloads and degraded data, as well as clear responsibility when a prediction proves wrong.
The pilot would arrive during a wider FAA modernization effort. The agency describes its earlier NextGen program as an overhaul of air-traffic communications, navigation, surveillance, automation and information-management systems.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.