FAA Developing ATC Tech to Predict the Future

Strategic Management of Airspace Routing Trajectories (SMART) system could shift air traffic control from reactive to predictive.

Jack Daleo

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 at 05:20 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford (left) and U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speak at the inaugural Modern Skies Summit in Washington, D.C. [Jack Daleo/FLYING]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA is developing new AI-based software called SMART (Strategic Management of Airspace Routing Trajectories) to predict airspace conditions, including weather and traffic, months in advance.
SMART's primary purpose is to strategically optimize air traffic flow, reduce delays, and prevent cancellations by enabling proactive planning, rather than performing real-time aircraft separation.
While the FAA is undertaking a broader "Brand New ATC System" (BNATCS) modernization with significant infrastructure upgrades, specific funding for the SMART software is currently lacking.
This initiative is part of a comprehensive effort to modernize America's air traffic control system, aiming to improve efficiency and avoid the pitfalls of previous, less successful modernization attempts.

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FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, and other federal and industry stakeholders on Tuesday shed new light on a planned air traffic control (ATC) software that could predict airspace conditions days, weeks, or even months in advance.

Duffy first alluded to the AI-based software, called SMART (Strategic Management of Airspace Routing Trajectories), on Friday. According to Frank Matus, director of uncrewed aircraft system (UAS) integration for Thales, the FAA’s vision is to predict weather, traffic, and other conditions “somewhere between six months and up to hours before operation.”