The US Federal Aviation Administration is replacing old systems that still use 3.5-inch floppy disks. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy announced the new Enterprise Information Display System, or E-IDS. It puts weather alerts, equipment outages, airspace changes and pilot reports on one digital screen. Five sites have started using it, including Atlantic City, Nashville, Rochester, Atlanta and Salt Lake City. The plan covers 435 facilities by the end of 2028.
π The Backstory
The FAA awarded the E-IDS contract to defence firm Leidos in 2020, so the change has been years in the making. A 2024 government report found 90 per cent of critical air traffic systems were due or overdue for an upgrade. The agency has also faced controller shortages, runway close calls and the 2023 NOTAM outage. Duffy has asked Congress for $30 billion more for modernisation.
π― Why It Matters
Air safety affects everyone who flies, and the floppy disk story hides a bigger problem: too few controllers.
The US Federal Aviation Administration is replacing old systems that still use 3.5-inch floppy disks. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy announced the new Enterprise Information Display System, or E-IDS. It puts weather alerts, equipment outages, airspace changes and pilot reports on one digital screen. Five sites have started using it, including Atlantic City, Nashville, Rochester, Atlanta and Salt Lake City. The plan covers 435 facilities by the end of 2028.
The FAA awarded the E-IDS contract to defence firm Leidos in 2020, so the change has been years in the making. A 2024 government report found 90 per cent of critical air traffic systems were due or overdue for an upgrade. The agency has also faced controller shortages, runway close calls and the 2023 NOTAM outage. Duffy has asked Congress for $30 billion more for modernisation.
Air safety affects everyone who flies, and the floppy disk story hides a bigger problem: too few controllers.