FAA Replaces Air Traffic Control Floppy Disks With Digital System

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Thursday that the Federal Aviation Administration is replacing 3.5-inch floppy disks and legacy hardware with the Enterprise – Information Display System (E-IDS). The new digital dashboard aggregates pilot reports, equipment outages, restricted airspace changes, and real-time weather alerts across more than 400 air traffic control facilities.

Upgrades have already commenced at five sites, including hubs in Atlantic City, Nashville, Rochester, Atlanta, and Salt Lake City. The government targets a full rollout to 435 facilities by the end of 2028. The E-IDS contract was originally awarded to defense contractor Leidos in August 2020.

While Duffy described the transition as bringing in 21st-century technology, critics argue the hardware update fails to address deeper systemic problems. These include a shortage of certified professional controllers and broader infrastructure decay highlighted in a 2024 Government Accountability Office report, which found that 90 percent of critical air traffic control infrastructure required a technology refresh.