FAA Deploys SMART AI System Across All 22 US Air Traffic Control Centers

On November 10, 2026, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced the full-scale expansion of the SMART AI system to all 22 regional air traffic control centers across the country. This decision completes the phased rollout of the technology, which began with a pilot launch in the Washington D.C. area on September 21. According to the agency, the system—developed under an $875 million project—is capable of optimizing flight routes, reducing fuel consumption, and cutting travel time for hundreds of flights daily.

How SMART Works: From Data to Recommendations

SMART is a software suite that integrates multiple data streams in real time: meteorological information, flight trajectories, traffic intensity, and air traffic control shift workloads. Based on this data, the system forecasts airspace developments and generates a set of recommendations ranging from schedule adjustments to selecting more efficient routes and landing sequences. Crucially, SMART's recommendations are not automatic commands: they are first reviewed by a team of FAA specialists in Washington, after which they are forwarded to local air traffic control facilities. The on-duty controller has the right to accept or reject the proposed option. The system does not pilot aircraft or replace human decision-making; its role is limited to analytical support.

Results of the Washington Pilot Phase

Between September 21 and the announcement of the expansion, FAA data shows that SMART helped reroute 180 flights in the airspace above the capital. The agency states that on average, each rerouted flight was shortened by 10 minutes, with fuel consumption dropping by nearly 80 gallons per flight. The FAA expects that scaling the system to all 22 regional centers will achieve a comparable effect nationwide. As an illustration, the agency cited a cargo flight heading to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport: the system proposed a shorter and faster route than what a controller would have chosen without AI support. However, the FAA did not name the specific flight number or provide a breakdown of the system's impact on passenger aircraft services.

Deployment Geography: From Washington to Miami

Before being rolled out to all 22 centers, the system underwent an intermediate deployment phase. Following the pilot operations in the Washington area, SMART was introduced to air route traffic control centers in Atlanta, Jacksonville, and Miami. These hubs cover key cargo and passenger aviation corridors in the southeast and central parts of the country, allowing the agency to test the system's performance under varying traffic densities and weather conditions.

Industry Reaction: Airline Support and Union Concerns

Executives from Delta Air Lines and American Airlines publicly supported the FAA's decision to fully implement SMART, noting the system's potential contribution to lowering operating costs and increasing schedule predictability. However, the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA), representing more than 15,000 industry workers, took a different stance. In a statement to Flying magazine, the union asserted that it had not been involved in the development, testing, or deployment process of SMART. Consequently, NATCA stated it lacks sufficient information to assess how the system will affect controllers' daily work and shift workloads. The FAA, in turn, emphasizes that the AI is designed to assist specialists in coping with growing workloads rather than replacing their decisions.

What's Next: Expectations and Limitations

For the FAA, expanding SMART to all 22 centers marks a transition from targeted optimization to AI-supported systemic management of the nation's airspace. The agency expects that lessons learned from the pilot phase will help standardize routing quality across regions with varying traffic densities. At the same time, the lack of data on the system's impact on passenger flights and the absence of participation from the controllers' union in the deployment process create room for ongoing industry discussions. The FAA has not yet released a schedule for reviewing performance metrics after full deployment, and NATCA has not ruled out requesting a separate audit on the system's impact on controllers' working conditions.