Air Traffic Control Artificial Intelligence & Autonomy Policy & Regulation Thales

FAA nears selection of ASI (over Palantir) and Thales for AI-powered air traffic management tied to SMART NAS overhaul

The FAA is close to awarding its AI-powered air traffic management system contract, weighing ASI against Palantir and Thales, according to the reporting. The program—SMART—was described by the FAA as a central pillar of its National Airspace System modernization plan, poised to reshape the ATC stack built on legacy technology.

Discovered 2026-06-13T16:20:24.638043-07:00 | 2026-06-13T16:20:24.638043-07:00

Briefing

What Hype is tracking

This award would place a new AI-driven decision and management layer at the core of the FAA’s National Airspace System modernization via SMART, with the contract described as a “central pillar” of the NAS overhaul (see context in FAA vows three-year NAS modernization and Bedford’s modernization push).
The shortlist framing (ASI vs. Palantir vs. Thales) signals which vendors the FAA is most willing to operationalize for ATC automation and AI decision support—directly building on prior FAA messaging that AI/ML will optimize airspace management and scheduling (see FAA’s Bedford calls for AI/ML).
For industry suppliers and operators, SMART’s ramp-up—coming from a relatively small team base (~150 employees reported as of April)—indicates near-term scaling and integration priorities for partners contributing to the U.S. ATC transition timeline (see FAA’s AI overhaul of air traffic).

Reported By

Politico avweb.com Aero-News Flying Magazine Aviation Week CAPA