The FAA is developing SMART (Strategic Management of Airspace Routing Trajectories), an AI system that would extend air traffic conflict prediction from 15 minutes to two hours ahead. Three companies are competing for the contract: Palantir, Thales, and startup Air Space Intelligence. The initiative is part of a $32.5 billion modernisation programme spurred by the LaGuardia runway collision in March 2026, which exposed controller overwork and aging infrastructure. Each bidder brings a distinct advantage: Palantir's government data platform experience, Thales's 85+ years of FAA infrastructure dominance, and ASI's Flyways AI platform already handling 40% of US air traffic. The FAA's track record with tech modernisation is poor, raising questions about whether SMART can deliver on its ambitious timeline.
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