ATC
FAA Gets SMART To Improve Airspace Congestion
Tool will help predict where pinch points in the National Airspace System may arise
Rendering of the FAA's SMART center
FAA's SMART air traffic center will be used to optimize air traffic. © The Federal Aviation Administration

The FAA took the next step in its efforts to ease airspace congestion, rolling out the Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes, and Trajectories (SMART) tool that centralizes operations and weather, controller staffing, and flight data into a single platform. SMART uses AI to synthesize 200 data streams to provide a full picture of where aircraft are going, how much the system can handle, and whether congestion or weather could create problems, according to the agency.

With SMART, air traffic managers and other specialists have a better understanding of potential pinch points and can recommend changes to ward them off. The FAA anticipates the tool will result in fewer delays and cancellations, optimized airspace, more predictable operations, and, ultimately, lower airline ticket prices.

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