FAA Tests AI Platform to Cut Flight Delays

The Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories system is now used at several air traffic control centers across the country.

Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Air Travel

Isometric editorial illustration of a curved mustard route arcing over flat teal terrain blocks, with a shorter cream path bending around an oxblood obstacle. — The FAA is testing SMART, an AI system that recommended a shorter route that let a Tampa cargo flight land at Dallas Fort Worth 12 minutes early. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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The Federal Aviation Administration has deployed SMART, an AI-powered air traffic control software, to reduce commercial flight delays at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. In one case, SMART recommended a shorter route that let a cargo flight from Tampa arrive at DFW 12 minutes early.

Why it matters

SMART evaluates weather, flight paths, traffic flow and staffing to identify congestion before it builds, which can ease pressure on air traffic controllers and on travelers facing delays at busy hubs. Its expansion to additional centers could shape how congested airspace is managed nationwide.

SMART centralizes 200 data streams into one platform and has been expanded to air route traffic control centers in Jacksonville, Miami and Atlanta after its first September deployment in the Washington, D.C. area. Reported results are limited to case examples and aggregate counts, and the stub does not provide a baseline for comparison.

The players

Federal Aviation Administration

The FAA is the U.S. federal agency responsible for regulating and overseeing civil aviation, including the national air traffic control system.

Sean Duffy

Sean Duffy is the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, whose department oversees the FAA and who has promoted the SMART rollout.

The details

SMART was first deployed in September near Washington, D.C. Air traffic controllers accepted its recommendation to send the Tampa cargo flight on a shorter southern route, which helped it reach DFW ahead of schedule at a time when demand exceeded capacity.

September: SMART first deployed to airports in the Washington, D.C. area.
Recent: Cargo flight arrives at DFW 12 minutes early after SMART reroute.

Travel Outlook

SMART extends the FAA's NextGen air traffic modernization program, which has long sought to replace radar-based routing with satellite-driven, data-sharing systems. As passenger volumes at major hubs rise, tools that reroute flights ahead of congestion are becoming a central part of how the agency manages capacity.

Travelers flying through congested hubs like Dallas Fort Worth may see fewer delays as AI-driven routing spreads to more air traffic centers. Because the reported benefits are early-stage and case-based, travelers should still allow buffer time for connections.

The takeaway

AI-assisted air traffic management is moving from pilot to routine use, and its early results point to shorter delays and lower fuel burn. Travelers can expect gradual improvements as the system expands to more control centers.