FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the agency’s new Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories (SMART) system could improve access to the National Airspace System for business aviation operators, according to AVweb’s report from the NBAA convention.
Bedford said SMART is intended to help accommodate unscheduled flights alongside airline operations. The system combines approximately 200 data streams, including weather, flight paths, airspace capacity and controller staffing, then uses predictive analytics to recommend route or departure-time adjustments before congestion develops.
Limited operations began around Washington, D.C., on September 21. The FAA plans a nationwide rollout, but the report does not establish a date for nationwide operational use or identify immediate changes to flight access for particular operators.
The system is designed to provide recommendations to FAA personnel, not to control aircraft or replace controllers’ decisions. That distinction is central to concerns raised by lawmakers, who have called for a pause at three Washington-area airports—Reagan National, Dulles International and Baltimore/Washington International—pending additional safety information.
In an earlier report on the lawmakers’ request, AVweb said the October 9 letter sought details on SMART’s testing, controller training, airport consultation and performance during severe weather or equipment outages. Lawmakers also questioned the standards required before expansion beyond the initial 90-day evaluation and how responsibility would be assigned if a recommendation contributed to a safety incident.
For pilots and operators, SMART currently represents a limited Washington-area deployment and planned expansion rather than a confirmed change to access procedures. The FAA’s broader rollout remains subject to the agency’s implementation process and the unresolved oversight questions described by lawmakers.