FAA’s AI-Powered Air Traffic Management System Could Debut in September

Officials share new details of the Strategic Management of Airspace Routing Trajectories (SMART) platform.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, June 18, 2026 at 09:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

Transportation Department officials envision the system predicting airspace conditions up to six months in advance. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA is set to deploy SMART (Strategic Management of Airspace Routing Trajectories) in September, an AI-powered system designed to predict weather and traffic months in advance.
The initial operational demonstration will focus on en route airspace at 24,000 feet and above, aiming to strategically deconflict schedules and reduce delays by enhancing trajectory predictions.
SMART is intended as a workload reduction tool for air traffic controllers, providing predictive analytics, but human controllers will retain full responsibility for separating aircraft and ensuring safety.

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The FAA this week provided fresh details on how Strategic Management of Airspace Routing Trajectories (SMART)—an artificial intelligence-powered air traffic management system designed to predict weather, traffic, and other conditions months in advance—will initially be deployed.

Steve Fulton, an FAA senior certification advisor and technical pilot, said SMART’s initial operational demonstration will focus on en route airspace 24,000 feet and above, Aviation Week reported. The deployment is on track for September, he said.