Story perspectives

FAA Deploys SMART AI to Predict Air-Traffic Congestion

5/10/2026

Summary

Story summary

The FAA launched the SMART AI system to forecast air-traffic congestion weeks ahead.
FAA chief Bryan Bedford leads SMART and oversees Thales, Air Space Intelligence (CEO Phillip Buckendorf) and Palantir competing on design.
SMART predicts flows and suggests five-to-ten-minute schedule tweaks to smooth travel without altering safety-critical separation.
The proof-of-concept ends with a September 2026 demo, experts warning that AI “hallucinations” and the $36 billion NextGen program’s limited benefits could jeopardize rollout.

1 of 1

Story summary

The FAA launched the SMART AI system to forecast air-traffic congestion weeks ahead.
FAA chief Bryan Bedford leads SMART and oversees Thales, Air Space Intelligence (CEO Phillip Buckendorf) and Palantir competing on design.
SMART predicts flows and suggests five-to-ten-minute schedule tweaks to smooth travel without altering safety-critical separation.
The proof-of-concept ends with a September 2026 demo, experts warning that AI “hallucinations” and the $36 billion NextGen program’s limited benefits could jeopardize rollout.