FAA Awards Air Traffic Control Software Contract to Air Space Intelligence

The FAA awarded Air Space Intelligence a contract for two new software systems, FMDS and SMART, to consolidate air traffic data and predict flow conflicts before departure, with initial operations starting this fall.

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The upgrade signals a broader shift toward predictive, data-consolidated traffic management aimed at easing controller workload and expanding usable airspace capacity nationwide.

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration has awarded a contract to Air Space Intelligence (ASI) for two new software technologies aimed at improving flight scheduling and management across the National Airspace System, Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford announced. The two systems are Flow Management Data and Services (FMDS), which will become the technological backbone of the FAA's Air Traffic Control System Command Center by consolidating weather, airport capacity, flight plan, and real-time position data into one platform, and Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes, and Trajectories (SMART), an enhancement built within FMDS that will analyze airline schedules, weather, airport capacity, and airspace conditions to predict traffic flows and identify conflicts before flights depart.

Air traffic data currently sits across multiple systems, requiring controllers to consult numerous screens and spreadsheets, and the new platforms are meant to let the FAA proactively identify delays and available airspace days, weeks, or months in advance while providing a unified view of weather and flight paths. The FAA said the technologies are expected to reduce flight delays, improve traffic flow, and increase airspace capacity, with initial operations planned to begin this fall.

Administrator Bedford said the SMART capabilities will help the agency manage airspace before flights depart, reducing congestion, easing controller workload, and cutting delays across the system. ASI CEO Phillip Buckendorf said the company is honored to support U.S. air traffic controllers, and Airlines for America CEO Chris Sununu said airlines are coordinating closely with the FAA to ensure SMART delivers more efficient routings and more predictable capacity information.