Updated

The US Federal Aviation Administration has expanded its AI tool, the SMART system, to advise on air traffic across all 22 air route traffic control centers nationwide, Ars Technica reported on November 12, 2026. The FAA said the system, which cost $875 million, helped reroute 180 flights after its September 21 start over Washington, DC, saving an average of 10 minutes and almost 80 gallons of fuel per flight. Ars Technica reported that the FAA hopes similar results can be repeated nationwide. The SMART system is a cloud-based tool that combines weather, flight paths, traffic flow and controller staffing data to suggest scheduling, routes and arrival order. FAA specialists in DC validate its recommendations before they reach facilities, and local controllers can accept or reject them, with the FAA stating it cannot replace controllers. Delta CEO Ed Bastian and American Airlines CEO Robert Isom backed the rollout. The National Air Traffic Controllers Association, representing more than 15,000 members, said it was not consulted on its design, testing or implementation and cannot speak to its effect on the controller workforce. Earlier expansion covered centers in Atlanta, Jacksonville and Miami, according to The Dallas Morning News, which reported that the FAA gave an example of a shorter cargo route into Dallas-Fort Worth but did not identify the flight or say how SMART affects passenger traffic.