• The FAA awarded ASI a $875 million contract for an AI-enabled airspace-management system.
• The system, called SMART, aims to reduce congestion and delays across US airspace.
• SMART will use data on airline schedules, weather, and airport capacity to predict congestion.
• ASI beat larger rivals Palantir and Thales for the contract.

This award may signal the FAA's preference for innovative, AI-powered solutions in air traffic management. The selection of ASI, a smaller company, suggests that the FAA is open to working with non-traditional vendors, which could indicate a shift in procurement strategies. The implementation of SMART may also indicate a move towards more predictive air traffic flow management, which could have significant implications for airlines and the broader aviation industry.