Rep. Don Beyer (D-VA) called on the Trump administration Monday to suspend a new artificial intelligence tool deployed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) at three Washington-area airports. The software, known as the Strategic Management of Airspace Routing Trajectories (SMART) system, launched on Monday, Sept. 21, 2026, at Reagan Washington National (DCA), Dulles International (IAD), and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall (BWI). Beyer, who co-chairs the bipartisan Congressional AI Caucus, requested the suspension until the technology undergoes independently verified stress testing and receives feedback from air traffic controllers.
The FAA and Transportation Department introduced the SMART system to help manage air traffic congestion by analyzing weather patterns, airport capacity, and real-time airspace conditions. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated Monday that the tool is intended to reduce flight delays, lower travel prices, and decrease stress for air traffic controllers. Duffy also noted that a human operator will remain in charge of the program.
Beyer stated that he was informed Monday that air traffic controllers were not involved in the design of the SMART system and had not been trained to use it. According to Beyer, the system has the capability to adjust flight schedules and routes, and he claimed that airlines expressed private concerns about the speed of the rollout. The FAA has expressed plans to eventually expand the system nationwide to streamline air travel operations.
For aviation professionals, the change is immediate for air traffic controllers at these facilities, who Duffy said will see reduced stress, though Beyer noted they have not yet received formal training on the tool. If the FAA proceeds with its nationwide expansion plans, the system would eventually manage the daily travel of millions more passengers across the United States.
What happens next is currently focused on the FAA’s plan to move beyond the Washington-area pilot program to a nationwide launch. While a specific date for that expansion was not reported, the system is now active at DCA, IAD, and BWI as of Monday, Sept. 21, 2026. Beyer has urged a pause until safety is independently verified, but the administration has not indicated it will stop the rollout.