FAA ditches floppy disks for modern air traffic control system

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 5 Nov, 19:38 · Archive

The US Federal Aviation Administration is replacing 3.5-inch floppy disks still used in critical air traffic control systems with a modern digital platform.

The Federal Aviation Administration is replacing 3.5-inch floppy disks used in critical air traffic control systems with a modern digital platform called the Enterprise Information Display System (E-IDS). The disks, which contain vital weather and other critical information for air traffic controllers, have been in use at more than 400 facilities across the country and date back to the 1980s.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the modernisation effort on Thursday. The E-IDS aggregates real-time weather alerts, equipment outages, restricted airspace changes and pilot reports onto a digital dashboard, replacing manual workflows and physical storage media. The upgrades will give air traffic controllers faster access to information, reduce repair expenses and improve safety, the FAA said.

Upgrades have already started at five locations: Atlantic City, Nashville, Rochester, Atlanta and Salt Lake City. The FAA plans to have the system installed at 435 facilities by the end of 2028. A Government Accountability Office report from September 2024 found that 90 percent of the nation's critical air traffic control infrastructure was due or past due for a technology refresh, with nearly half of the 138 systems surveyed considered unsustainable or potentially unsustainable.

How it is being reported

• The FAA is finally phasing out floppy disks from air traffic controlSeems about time for an upgrade.Engadget · 5 Nov, 19:16
• The FAA is finally ditching floppy disksIt's the year 2026 and the Federal Aviation Administration is still running critical pieces of American airspace on 3.5-inch magnetic floppy disks. But those technology artifacts could be headed for the dustbin after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced an effort to ditch floppy disks in favor of a new digital system. Duffy announced Thursday that […]The Verge · 5 Nov, 17:13

In this story: Federal Aviation Administration · Sean Duffy · Atlantic City · Nashville · Rochester · Atlanta · Salt Lake City

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