WASHINGTON (TNND) — Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will announce the launch of the Federal Aviation Administration’s new artificial intelligence system Monday, aimed at reducing flight delays before they begin.
SMART, short for Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories, is set to begin as a 90-day pilot in the Washington region, covering Reagan National, Dulles and Baltimore/Washington International airports before a wider deployment.
The cloud-based system combines airline schedules, weather forecasts, airport capacity, airspace conditions and other operational constraints to predict traffic flows and potential conflicts. It gives the FAA, airlines and other operators a shared view before departure, allowing them to plan more efficient routes and departure or arrival times.
The FAA says SMART could help identify issues days, weeks or even months ahead, rather than responding once delays are already underway.
The agency expects the system to reduce delays and cancellations, lower fuel burn, speed recovery from weather disruptions and increase available airspace capacity.
SMART is part of the FAA’s larger Flow Management Data and Services (FMDS) program, which is intended to replace the legacy Traffic Flow Management System and serve as the FAA command center’s data backbone.
The FAA awarded Air Space Intelligence a 12-year, $875 million contract in June to develop SMART and the related FMDS platform. The agency has stressed that the technology is meant to support—not replace—air traffic controllers, who will retain final responsibility for safely separating aircraft.