FAA to replace floppy disk systems in air traffic control

The Federal Aviation Administration is moving to retire 3.5-inch floppy disks from parts of its air traffic control system. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the change on Thursday, 5 November.

The agency will roll out a new platform called the Enterprise Information Display System, or E-IDS. It will replace four older setups at more than 400 air traffic control facilities across the United States. The move is from a digital storage format that the agency still relies on to a modern digital system.

What E-IDS will do

E-IDS will bring several kinds of information onto one screen. These include real-time weather alerts, equipment outages, changes to restricted airspace and pilot reports. Controllers currently work with these updates across several separate systems.

Floppy disks have been obsolete for years in most consumer and business settings. Their continued use in a system that guides aircraft shows the age of some tools in use.

The change follows wider efforts to modernise aviation infrastructure in the United States. Controllers and safety officials have long asked for updated tools. Using a single display for live data is expected to reduce the number of systems staff must monitor.

Critical infrastructure in many countries still depends on decades-old technology.

The FAA has not said when the rollout will be complete or what it will cost. It has not said how many facilities will switch first.