Definition
SMART (Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes, and Trajectories) is an AI-enhanced cloud platform within the FAA’s FMDS system, developed by air-space-intelligence. It predicts traffic flows and identifies conflicts before aircraft depart by analyzing schedules, weather, airport capacity, airspace conditions, and operational constraints.
Key Points
- $875M / 12-year contract awarded June 2026; initial D.C. metro rollout fall 2026
- Human-in-the-loop: Assists controllers; does not autonomously control aircraft
- Proactive planning: Enables delay mitigation days, weeks, and months in advance
- Context: Part of broader FAA modernization addressing controller shortages and aging infrastructure ($12.5B+ allocated)