FAA to replace floppy-disk systems at over 400 control sites
The US Federal Aviation Administration will replace its legacy floppy-disk systems with a new Enterprise-Information Display System at more than 400 air-traffic control facilities, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced. The system will consolidate weather alerts, equipment outages, airspace changes and pilot reports on one digital dashboard. Upgrades have begun at five sites, including Atlantic City, Nashville, Rochester, Atlanta and Salt Lake City, with completion targeted at 435 facilities by the end of 2028.
Key facts
- Congress approved $12.5 billion last year to fix the aging air-traffic control system.
- A GAO report from September 2024 found 90 percent of critical control infrastructure was due or past due for refresh.
- A FAA memo dated 23 Oct warned that fiber-optic cable cuts have caused recent outages and delays.
- An 13 Oct cable cut at Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport caused a ground stop.
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Why it matters
The aging control infrastructure has already caused outages, and the upgrade targets reliability and safety at US airports.
What changed
First published from The Verge, CNA and Engadget