An internal report by the Department of Transportation had raised concerns, stating that floppy discs are antiquated technology|Sarah Pratti|CC BY 2.0
Marking the end of a retro-era practice, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is retiring floppy disk technology as part of a major overhaul of its air traffic control system.
An internal report by the Department of Transportation had raised concerns, stating that floppy disks are antiquated technology for handling critical weather and airline information.
The agency has begun deploying the Enterprise Information Display System (E-IDS) across 435 facilities, replacing legacy setups like the MS-DOS-driven IDS-4, which has been in use since the early 1990s.
E-IDS instantly delivers real-time safety alerts, pilot weather reports, hazard updates, and restricted airspace schedules.
Initial sites receiving the upgrade include Atlantic City International Airport, Nashville International Airport, and Greater Rochester International Airport. Full deployment is set to be over by the end of 2028.