The FAA says it is replacing 1980s-era systems, some tied to floppy disks, at air traffic control sites. The rollout is fast, and a watchdog has warned about planning.
The Federal Aviation Administration says it has started phasing out floppy disks in air traffic control. Yes, floppy disks, in 2026. The agency is replacing four systems that date back to the 1980s with a new digital display board. It plans to have the new setup at 435 sites by the end of 2028.
The new system is called the Enterprise – Information Display System, or E-IDS. Think of it as one screen that puts equipment problems, air traffic conditions, weather and other advisories in the same place.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said it replaces technology that once relied on floppy disks. He said controllers will be able to instantly share flight alerts, restricted airspace schedules and pilot reports across the National Airspace System.
Five facilities get the upgrade first:
This is not a brand-new project. The FAA gave defense contractor Leidos a contract of roughly $292 million in 2020 to build the system. According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the agency once expected to finish installing it in September 2034. The current plan moves that to September 2028, six years sooner.
The work is part of a wider effort to modernize air traffic control, which received $12.5 billion through President Trump's tax and spending bill last year. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the modernization is coming at lightning speed.
The GAO, a government watchdog, published a report in September saying the FAA needs to improve its planning. It found the agency lacked a full cost estimate for the overhaul and a single master schedule to coordinate the projects.
The GAO said the FAA had more than 11,000 separate project schedules that were not coordinated. That means several upgrades could be planned for the same site without enough thought about disruption to controllers. Without better planning, the GAO said, the agency could cause air traffic disruptions or keep relying on severely outdated systems longer.
If you fly, newer tools could mean fewer problems caused by old technology. But the GAO's warning suggests the rollout itself could cause delays if it is not well coordinated. The FAA is also working to hire more controllers amid a global shortage. Dropping floppy disks is a start, but the full job is far from done.
Floppy disks are on their way out of air traffic control, but the GAO says poor planning could still cause disruptions during the rollout.
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