The Pulse
The FAA’s plan to fix air traffic? $875M worth of AI
TechCrunch reports that the FAA plans to launch SMART, a $875 million AI software program for air-traffic operations. I looked for an attributable speaker and a named role in the source; it contains no such quotation.
AI.info Team ·
SMART moves toward deployment
The Federal Aviation Administration is preparing to launch an AI-supported air-traffic management system designed to help controllers manage their workflows and navigate flight routes more safely. TechCrunch reports that the software, called SMART, is expected to launch soon as the agency searches for new ways to address air-traffic challenges.
SMART stands for Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes, and Trajectories. The program is the product of Air Space Intelligence and is expected to cost the government $875 million over 12 years. TechCrunch reports that the software will first roll out in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area before expanding to other regions.
A one-page FAA readout describes SMART as a cloud-based platform that enhances existing FAA air-traffic management systems. The software uses artificial intelligence to assess airline schedules, weather, airport capacity, airspace conditions and operational constraints. It is intended to predict traffic flows and identify potential conflicts before they occur.
A software tool for air-traffic operations
The planned system is part of a federal effort to find new approaches to the problems facing the national air-traffic network. TechCrunch says the FAA has been struggling with an air-traffic-control shortage throughout the country and has made clear that it is looking for innovative solutions.
SMART is designed to work with information already generated across air-traffic operations. By assessing schedules, weather and capacity alongside other conditions, the platform is intended to give the agency a broader view of how traffic may develop and where conflicts could emerge.
The program’s stated function is predictive and operational. It is meant to help identify traffic patterns and potential conflicts before they occur, rather than simply respond after congestion or disruption has developed. The Washington-area deployment will be the first stage of the program, with expansion to other regions planned afterward.
Part of a larger FAA modernization effort
The $875 million software program arrives as the FAA works on the wider problem of aging air-traffic systems. TechCrunch reports that the government is separately engaged in a broad effort to modernize the nation’s air-traffic infrastructure.
The agency also announced a hiring plan earlier in 2026. According to TechCrunch, the FAA said the plan would “erase the longstanding staffing shortage.” The hiring effort and the SMART program address different parts of the same operational challenge: staffing the system while improving the tools used to manage traffic.
The FAA has not presented SMART as a replacement for the national air-traffic system. Instead, the program is described as an enhancement to existing management systems. Its initial deployment in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area will provide the first operating test of the software before any broader rollout.
Washington comes first
The initial geographic focus gives the FAA a defined starting point for the program. SMART will be introduced in the Washington area and then expanded to other regions, according to TechCrunch’s report.
At $875 million over 12 years, the program represents a long-term investment in software intended to support air-traffic operations. Its performance will depend on how effectively the platform assesses the data identified in the FAA readout, including schedules, weather, airport capacity and airspace conditions.
For now, the confirmed scope is limited to the planned launch and initial Washington-area rollout. TechCrunch’s report does not establish a separate award announcement, a deployment alongside another FAA system or a detailed timetable beyond the stated plan to begin in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area before expanding elsewhere.