FAA to replace floppy disks in major technology upgrade

The Federal Aviation Administration has announced plans to retire the use of floppy disks within the national air traffic control network. This update is part of a broader technological overhaul intended to provide controllers with more rapid access to essential safety information.

A total of 435 facilities will receive the new Enterprise Information Display System (E-IDS), which will succeed various display systems that have been in service since the 1980s. According to the agency, this transition is a significant step in updating the infrastructure to meet modern standards.

The FAA stated the organisation "is continuing its historic modernization of America’s air traffic control system by replacing outdated floppy disks that contain vital weather and other critical information with a streamlined, 21st-century system." Officials confirmed that the E-IDS will be "deployed to operational control positions at more than 400 facilities across all air traffic control domains" and will "provide operationally essential information for controlling aircraft."