US FAA says it will phase out floppy disks from air traffic control by 2028

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced plans to replace outdated floppy disks used for critical weather and flight information at over 400 air traffic control facilities nationwide by the end of 2028. The Enterprise Information Display System will consolidate key operational data, enabling controllers to swiftly access air traffic updates.

Floppy disks, largely obsolete for over two decades, have not been mass-produced since 2011. Congress approved $12.5 billion in funding earlier this year for upgrades to the aging air traffic control system, with Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy seeking an additional $30 billion for further improvements. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford emphasized the transition away from manual processes to a modern system capable of instant information sharing regarding flight alerts, restricted airspace schedules, and pilot reports.

Recent air traffic control outages have been attributed to fiber optic cable cuts, causing delays, diversions, and cancellations. The FAA also highlighted similar issues following a fiber optic cable outage at Houston's George Bush Intercontinental Airport and a construction crew accident in New Jersey that severed a cable. The agency has been grappling with a network of aging Compaq computers and parts procured via eBay, as well as a shortage of several thousand air traffic controllers.

The US airspace remains the most intricate globally, with each facility operating in isolation via analog computers. The FAA is also in the process of eliminating the practice of using paper flight strips, which began in 2022 but will not be fully implemented at the 49 major airports until at least 2028.