The Federal Aviation Administration announced on June 22, 2026 that it selected Air Space Intelligence to develop and deploy two connected air traffic-flow management systems: Flow Management Data and Services (FMDS) and Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes, and Trajectories (SMART).
The contract concerns system-wide traffic management and planning. It does not replace local tower, approach, or en route controllers, and it does not change FAA hiring, ATSA, medical, security, or training requirements.
What FMDS and SMART are intended to do
The FAA describes FMDS as a new technological backbone for the Air Traffic Control System Command Center. It is designed to combine flight plans, airline schedules, real-time position data, airport capacity, weather, and airspace constraints into a common traffic-flow picture.
SMART is planned as an enhancement within that platform. Its purpose is to analyze schedules and trajectories before departure so that the FAA and airspace users can identify likely congestion earlier and coordinate more efficient routes or departure times.
According to the FAA, the systems are intended to:
- improve traffic flow across the National Airspace System;
- identify congestion before it produces wider network disruption;
- support more localized rerouting around severe weather;
- bring information currently spread across multiple systems into one visualization;
- improve collaborative decision-making between the FAA, airlines, and other operators.
Why the announcement matters operationally
Traffic management is different from tactical separation. Controllers working individual sectors still issue clearances, maintain separation, respond to changing conditions, and coordinate aircraft in real time.
FMDS and SMART are aimed further upstream. By predicting demand-capacity imbalances before departure, the systems could help traffic managers reduce the number of conflicts that must later be absorbed through ground stops, miles-in-trail restrictions, holding, or large reroutes.
That distinction matters for applicants. The technology is intended to support controller and traffic-management decisions, not remove the need for human judgment in dynamic airspace.
Initial operations are planned for fall 2026
The FAA said it plans to begin initial operations with the new software in fall 2026. The announcement did not provide a complete national deployment schedule or independently measured performance results.
Initial operation should therefore be treated as the beginning of implementation, not proof that all expected delay, capacity, or workload benefits have already been achieved.
What is confirmed and what remains provisional
Confirmed: The FAA awarded the contract, identified FMDS and SMART as complementary systems, described their planned Command Center and predictive-flow roles, and set an initial-operations target for fall 2026.
Still provisional: The final implementation timetable, operational coverage, integration with existing systems, controller-interface details, measured delay reductions, and long-term workload effects remain to be demonstrated during deployment.
What future controllers should take from this
Modern air traffic control increasingly combines tactical control with network-level data, predictive modeling, and collaborative traffic-flow management. Candidates should expect technology to change the information available to controllers and traffic managers, while the underlying safety responsibilities remain human-centered.
Those exploring the profession can review the air traffic controller career hub, the FAA hiring process, and the current FAA controller workforce plan. ATSA candidates should treat this software announcement separately from the official selection process and begin with what the ATSA is.