FAA Rolls Out Air Traffic AI Nationwide After DC Test Reroutes 180 Flights

The FAA flipped the switch nationwide on its AI advisory tool for air traffic, expanding SMART from a single region to the airspace of all 22 centers across the country. The agency announced the move in a statement dated November 10, framing it as a way to cut delays, burn less fuel and smooth the ride for passengers.

The pitch rests on the September trial. Since SMART went live over Washington, DC, on September 21, the FAA says it has helped reroute 180 flights, saving an average of 10 minutes and almost 80 gallons of fuel per flight. The agency is betting those numbers travel well beyond the National Capital Region.

Airline executives have lined up behind the rollout. The union representing the country's air traffic controllers has not — it says it had no hand in designing or testing the AI-driven system, per Ars Technica.

SMART carries an $875 million price tag, a figure that now underwrites advice doled out across the entire national airspace system rather than one slice of it.

“After a successful initial rollout to the National Capital Region in September, the FAA will now use SMART in the airspace of all 22 centers across the country to reduce delays, reduce fuel consumption and improve the travel experience for the flying public,” the agency said in its November 10 statement.