TLDR
- The FAA is working with Palantir, Thales, and Air Space Intelligence to build an AI tool for air traffic management.
- The FAA has received $12.5 billion from Congress but needs an estimated $20 billion more to complete its system overhaul.
- The AI tool could help reduce flight congestion and alert controllers when aircraft get too close.
- Wedbush kept its Outperform rating on PLTR on April 10 with a $230 price target, staying bullish despite Anthropic competition concerns.
- 63% of the 32 analysts covering PLTR currently have a Buy rating, with the 12-month average price target implying over 47% upside.
The FAA is in the middle of one of the largest infrastructure overhauls in U.S. aviation history, and Palantir wants a piece of it.
The FAA has brought in Palantir, Thales and Air Space Intelligence to compete on a new artificial intelligence tool for air traffic management https://t.co/KfjRiKVLF8
— Bloomberg (@business) April 17, 2026
According to a Bloomberg source familiar with the matter, the agency has brought in Palantir Technologies (PLTR), Thales (THLLY), and Air Space Intelligence to compete for a contract to build a new AI-powered air traffic management tool.
The project is part of a broader push to modernize the country’s aging air traffic control system, which has faced mounting pressure from rising flight volumes and long-overdue technology upgrades.
Palantir Technologies Inc., PLTR
The FAA has already received $12.5 billion from Congress for the overhaul. But the agency estimates it will need roughly $20 billion more to get the job done.
That funding gap makes the search for smarter, more efficient solutions all the more urgent.
The AI tool being developed could serve a range of practical functions. One use case: spotting when too many departures or arrivals are stacked up at once, giving controllers early warning to reduce congestion before it becomes a problem.
The system could also flag when aircraft are drifting too close to each other — a safety feature that could give controllers more reaction time in high-pressure situations.
Wedbush Stays Bullish
On April 10, Wedbush maintained its Outperform rating on PLTR with a price target of $230. The firm said it remains confident in Palantir despite concerns that competitors like Anthropic could eat into its territory.
Anthropic has grown fast — its annual recurring revenue jumped from $9 billion to $30 billion since the start of 2026. But Wedbush argued that growth hasn’t come at Palantir’s expense.
The firm pointed to Palantir’s AIP products and its data-driven approach as key advantages that are hard to replicate. It described the company as a leader in the AI revolution, not a casualty of it.
What Analysts Are Saying
Wall Street is broadly positive on PLTR right now. Across 32 analysts covering the stock, 63% have a Buy rating.
The 12-month average price target implies more than 47% upside from current levels.
TipRanks data shows a Moderate Buy consensus based on 14 Buys, five Holds, and two Sells over the past three months. The average price target from that group sits at $194.06.
PLTR was up 2.54% at the time of writing.
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