The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) awarded Air Space Intelligence (ASI) a 12-year, nearly $876 million contract to deploy two air traffic control (ATC) software platforms aimed at improving how flights are scheduled and managed across the National Airspace System.
According to a June 22 press release, the FAA said the Flow Management Data and Services (FDMS) platform will serve as the new technology backbone for the agency’s Air Traffic Control System Command Center. The Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes, and Trajectories (SMART) platform will operate as an enhancement within FDMS, using that data to prevent congestion and delays.
“To really improve the flying experience for the traveling public, we must change how flights are managed,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. “We’re thrilled to partner with ASI to begin developing these two new software platforms. Once implemented, we will fundamentally reshape how the airspace is managed – slashing thousands of delays and cancellations in the process.”
The FAA said the technologies are designed to help the agency consolidate critical data in one platform, including weather patterns, airport capacity, flight paths, schedules, and airspace conditions.
SMART will use artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze airline schedules, weather, airport capacity, airspace conditions, and operational constraints to predict traffic flows and identify potential conflicts, according to an FAA fact sheet.
The FAA said SMART will continuously update forecasts and planning recommendations as conditions change. Initial operations using the AI tool are slated to begin in fall 2026.
“Every day, our air traffic professionals knowingly manage thousands of scheduling conflicts across the National Airspace System, which ultimately end up as delays for the traveling public,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford.
“FMDS with the SMART capabilities will help us address that challenge by improving how we manage airspace before flights depart, reducing congestion, easing controller workload, and directly cutting down delays across the system,” Bedford said.
The FAA said the current National Airspace System has limited ability to anticipate the effects of the number and timing of forecasted flights, weather, runway closures, and other capacity constraints. Controllers also often rely on multiple screens and spreadsheets to access operational data.
“With these two new technologies, the FAA can house all critical data in one platform and proactively identify delays and available airspace to mitigate them days, weeks, and even months in advance,” the FAA said in its release.
Congress gave the FAA a down payment of $12.5 billion under the One Big Beautiful Bill last summer to modernize its air traffic control systems. So far, several contracts have been awarded to companies that will serve as the FAA’s prime integrator and oversee radar systems.