Business
Airline executives have shifted from alarm to cautious optimism regarding the Federal Aviation Administration’s new artificial intelligence system for air traffic management, according to industry insiders and agency officials. The tool, called Strategic Management of Airspace Routing Trajectories (SMART), is designed to predict and alleviate airspace congestion, ultimately reducing flight delays. It is scheduled to launch within days, initially offering route suggestions to controllers overseeing flights at the three airports serving Washington, D.C. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford indicated that after a 90-day trial, the system could expand nationwide. Weeks of uncertainty plagued the industry as the FAA’s vague descriptions left airlines worried about how deeply AI would penetrate daily air traffic operations. “I think that’s what people were freaking out about,” one industry official said. Concerns eased after the agency clarified that SMART would be introduced gradually and would not impose new procedures on controllers or airlines. Instead, it will generate alternative routing information delivered through existing FAA systems. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has championed the tool, but airline representatives initially found the rollout plan confusing. “We’ve been requesting and talking to [FAA] and saying, ‘Let’s narrow the scope of this. Start, crawl, walk, run,'” another official noted. The FAA ultimately adopted that phased approach. FAA spokesperson Hannah Walden stated the agency is “moving at record speed to modernize America’s National Airspace System” and that SMART will “fundamentally change the way we manage our skies.” She added that airlines have been involved from the start and that their feedback is guiding a “slow, methodical” deployment.
The initiative follows several high-profile aviation disasters, including a deadly midair collision over Washington in January 2025 and a fatal runway crash at LaGuardia Airport in New York. The FAA has embraced AI as part of a broader overhaul to strengthen the nation’s aging air traffic control infrastructure. During discussions, some airline officials worried that the AI could trigger more cancellations and reschedulings in the name of preventing bottlenecks, creating costly disruptions for carriers and passengers. However, no one suggested the system would compromise safety. To address concerns, the FAA held several meetings last week, including a Sept. 10 session between major airline CEOs and Bedford. The meeting, attended by leaders from United, American, Delta, and Southwest, was described as “exceptionally favorable and supportive” by one official. Duffy emphasized a cautious approach, saying, “We have to do a slow roll into the airspace.” Bedford noted the initial 90-day phase will focus on testing and building airline confidence in the system’s predictions. The SMART tool is part of a 12-year, $875 million contract to modernize air traffic control.