Washington-area airports have launched a 90-day pilot program testing a new artificial intelligence-based tool designed to reduce flight delays and cancellations. The Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories (SMART) system is currently being deployed at airports in the Washington, D.C. region and is expected to expand to other locations nationwide in the coming months.

The SMART system leverages AI technology to analyze and predict weather conditions and other factors that can disrupt flight schedules. By providing air-traffic managers with real-time, dynamic data, the tool aims to improve coordination and optimize the flow of aircraft through controlled airspace. Officials say this should help reduce ground time for aircraft, leading to faster departures and lower fuel consumption.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy emphasized that the system supports human decision-making rather than replacing it. “We are not outsourcing aviation to AI,” he said, adding that the AI tool simply enhances the information available to controllers. Duffy described the technology as “dumb AI” in a lighthearted comment to highlight that final decisions about air traffic management remain under human control.

Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Bryan Bedford described SMART as a “traffic-separation tool” designed to assist air-traffic managers in safely spacing aircraft. Bedford and other officials said the program represents a step toward modernizing air-traffic control systems by integrating advanced data analytics and predictive capabilities.

The pilot marks a significant move toward incorporating artificial intelligence into the nation’s air-traffic management infrastructure while maintaining tight operational oversight by human controllers. If successful, the program could serve as a model for broader adoption of AI tools to streamline aviation operations and improve efficiency across the U.S. flight network.