The FAA’s Plan to Fix Air Traffic? $875M Worth of AI
The FAA will launch SMART, an AI planning system from Air Space Intelligence, starting in the Washington, DC area this fall. The $875 million, 12-year contract actually covers two systems, FMDS and SMART, and was awarded in June. We explain how the software works, why the controller shortage makes it urgent, where it fits in the wider air traffic overhaul, and the risks around cloud dependency, cybersecurity and measurable results.