The SMART AI system begins operation Monday at Ronald Reagan National, Dulles, and BWI airports to generate alternative routing recommendations for air traffic controllers. A 12 year contract valued at $875 million was awarded to Air Space Intelligence, a Boston startup, to develop the tool that analyzes flight schedules, weather, and traffic conditions to reduce delays.

The FAA states that SMART will not directly control aircraft but will offer routing suggestions on controller screens during traffic backups. The agency has not disclosed whether the system uses generative AI or deterministic models, nor has it published success metrics for the tool's deployment in the DC corridor where a collision between an American Airlines flight and a Black Hawk killed 67 people in January 2025.