It’s hard to believe it’s almost 2027 and the FAA is still using floppy disks in its air traffic control operations. But it appears that’s finally about to change.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced Thursday that it has begun phasing out floppy disks used in air traffic control operations.
The agency is replacing four outdated systems dating back to the 1980s with what it’s calling the “Enterprise – Information Display System” (E-IDS). The new system is essentially a digital display board that puts important information about equipment issues, air traffic conditions, weather, and other advisories in one convenient place.
“E-IDS gives air traffic controllers the information they need to make timely decisions and keep the flying public safe,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford in a press release. “We’re moving away from outdated, manual processes and replacing technology that once relied on floppy disks with a modern system that allows controllers to instantly share critical flight alerts, restricted airspace schedules and pilot reports across the National Airspace System.”
The first five facilities receiving the upgrades include Atlantic City International Airport, Nashville International Airport and Greater Rochester International Airport, as well as data processing hubs in Atlanta and Salt Lake City. The FAA says it plans to install E-IDSs at 435 sites by the end of 2028.
The rollout is part of a broader effort to modernize the nation’s aging air traffic control infrastructure, which received $12.5 billion in funding through President Trump’s tax and spending bill last year.
In his own statement, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the E-IDS rollout shows that the modernization of the U.S. air traffic control system “is coming at lightning speed.”
However, this particular project has been in the works for more than six years. The FAA originally awarded defense contractor Leidos a roughly $292 million contract to develop the new system back in 2020, during Trump’s first term. The administration has accelerated the project’s deadline considerably. According to the GAO, the FAA previously expected to finish installing E-IDS in September 2034, but its current modernization plan moves that deadline up six years to September 2028.
And the agency’s broader modernization efforts have already raised concerns.
In September, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report warning that the FAA needed to improve its planning for the massive overhaul.
The government watchdog specifically found that the agency lacked a comprehensive lifecycle cost estimate and an integrated master schedule to coordinate the various projects.
“Without them, the agency could end up causing air traffic disruptions or prolonging reliance on severely outdated systems,” the GAO said in its report summary.
According to the GAO, the FAA had more than 11,000 separate project schedules that weren’t coordinated. That means multiple upgrades could be scheduled for installation at the same sites without adequate consideration for minimizing disruptions to controller operations.
The watchdog also warned that the lack of reliable cost estimates and a coordinated schedule increased the risk of the projects going over budget, facing delays, or failing to meet their goals.
And outdated technology isn’t the only challenge facing the country’s air traffic control system. The FAA is simultaneously working to boost hiring amid a global shortage of air traffic controllers.
So while finally moving beyond floppy disks is a good start, the FAA still has a long way to go before its air traffic control system is fully modernized and staffed.