The FAA is officially phasing out the use of floppy disks across its air traffic control operations, according to Gizmodo. The agency announced it is replacing four legacy systems dating back to the 1980s with the Enterprise – Information Display System (E-IDS). The new digital system consolidates critical information — such as equipment issues, weather, air traffic conditions, flight alerts, and pilot reports — into a single interface for air traffic controllers.
The initial rollout includes facilities in Atlantic City, Nashville, Rochester, Atlanta, and Salt Lake City, with plans to install the system at 435 sites by the end of 2028. The accelerated timeline moves the completion date up by six years from a previous target of 2034.
However, a September report from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) warned that the FAA lacks an integrated master schedule and a comprehensive lifecycle cost estimate for the overhaul, which could increase the risk of budget overruns, project delays, or air traffic disruptions.
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