The FAA’s New Tool Could Help Reduce Flight Delays and Cancellations

Updated: September 21, 2026, 2:56pm CDT

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How the FAA’s New SMART System Works
Final Thoughts

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The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is testing out a new air traffic management tool that could help prevent flight disruptions before they begin.

The new system uses weather, flight schedules, traffic levels, and other data to predict trouble spots and help the FAA respond earlier.

Here’s what that could mean for travelers.

How the FAA’s New SMART System Works

The new platform is called Strategic Management of Airspace, Routes and Trajectories, or SMART.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, SMART combines 200 data streams, including:

Weather forecasts
Flight paths and airline schedules
Airport and airspace capacity
Traffic flow
Air traffic controller staffing

The concept was developed to give the FAA a better understanding of where problems could develop before they start affecting flights.

Right now, the FAA often has to respond after storms or crowded airspace have already caused delays. SMART is designed to spot those issues earlier and recommend potential fixes, such as rerouting flights to a less congested route, adjusting departure times, or reopening airspace more quickly after severe weather passes. For travelers, the end result could be fewer ground stops, tarmac waits, diversions, and rolling delays.

Airport weather delay — SMART is designed to spot potential problems at airports and across U.S. airspace before they lead to widespread delays and cancellations. Image Credit: Christine Krzyszton

However, you shouldn’t expect to see a noticeable difference nationwide right away. The FAA began using SMART on a limited basis around Washington, D.C., on September 21, 2026, with a broader rollout planned over the next several months.

The platform also will not replace air traffic controllers or take control of aircraft. FAA employees will review their recommendations, and local air traffic control facilities can decide whether to follow them.

Hot Tip:

SMART will operate entirely behind the scenes, so there will be no new tool or feature for travelers to use. If it works as planned, you may simply notice more reliable schedules and fewer delays when weather or congestion hit.

Final Thoughts

Of course, SMART won’t eliminate flight delays, as bad weather, mechanical issues, crew shortages, and other problems can still disrupt your travel plans. However, if the FAA can flag potential trouble earlier, it may be able to keep one issue from snowballing into delays and cancellations across the country.

The rollout is just getting started, so we’ll have to wait and see how much of a difference SMART actually makes. But if it leads to fewer delays and canceled flights, that’s a win for all travelers.