The Federal Aviation Administration activated its Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories (SMART) platform in Washington, D.C., airspace on Monday, drawing on 200 data streams under a 12-year, $875 million contract awarded to Air Space Intelligence (ASI) in June.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford introduced the system as the agency's first concrete step from reactive to predictive traffic management. SMART aggregates weather patterns, flight paths, traffic flow and controller staffing data to identify congestion, reroute options and capacity bottlenecks before they cascade into delays.

"By fundamentally reshaping how we manage our airspace and preventing problems before they happen, SMART will slash those frustrating delays, reduce stress on air traffic controllers, and lower travel prices," Duffy said.

What is SMART designed to do?

The platform estimates airspace demand, weather impact and runway capacity limits so FAA specialists can plan hours, days or weeks ahead rather than respond to disruptions already in progress. The agency said the system should shorten tarmac holds, reduce airport circling and cut diversions during weather events — efficiency gains that, if realized, would lower fuel burn, overtime and delay-related operating costs across the carrier network.

United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said SMART "has the potential to significantly reduce delays and cancellations during weather events." Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian said Delta is "actively engaged in the development process." American Airlines CEO Robert Isom and Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan pointed to ongoing FAA collaboration, while Airlines for America CEO and President Chris Sununu called SMART "one of the most exciting and bold initiatives taken on by the FAA in decades."

How will SMART roll out?

Limited operations began in the National Capital Region. The FAA plans a phased national expansion over the next several months, with ASI staff and FAA controllers running parallel operations at a new air traffic center built jointly by DOT and ASI. The agency stressed that SMART recommends rather than commands: facility leaders keep authority to accept or reject scheduling suggestions, and no controller position is replaced by automation.

The same $875 million contract covers the Flow Management Data and Services platform, which will serve as the technology backbone of the FAA's Air Traffic Control System Command Center. ASI's two systems combine predictive modeling with operational data and decision-support tools intended to raise usable airspace capacity.

Where does SMART sit in the broader modernization plan?

Bedford said pairing SMART with ongoing hardware upgrades will reduce delays and keep airspace open "all while maintaining our gold standard of safety." DOT is spending $12.5 billion from the Working Families Tax Cut legislation on new telecom lines, radios, radars and electronic flight strips. All 13 modernization workstreams are scheduled for completion by the end of 2028, with progress tracked on the Modern Skies website.

In December, the FAA selected Peraton as project manager and prime integrator for the Brand New Air Traffic Control System, a separate program covering communications, surveillance, automation, facilities and Alaska operations.

How is the controller shortfall being addressed?

DOT said it placed a record 4,000 controllers into the training pipeline during the administration's first 18 months and that about 11,000 controllers are now working in towers — the highest staffing level in a decade. The department said it has shortened hiring timelines by more than five months and is paying retention bonuses to experienced controllers who delay retirement, alongside cash awards to new hires.

Whether SMART's predictive lift, the BNATCS hardware replacement and the controller hiring push translate into measurable on-time gains by the end of 2028 — when all 13 workstreams are due to close — will determine how much of the promised delay-reduction actually arrives in the carrier network.