FAA to replace floppy disk systems by end of 2028

The Federal Aviation Administration plans to replace floppy-disk-dependent systems used for weather and other operational information at more than 400 air traffic control facilities with a modern display system by the end of 2028. The Enterprise Information Display System will replace four systems dating to the 1980s, the agency said. The FAA says the new system will bring operational information together so controllers can access air traffic updates. Administrator Bryan Bedford said it will also allow controllers to share flight alerts, restricted-airspace schedules and pilot reports. The agency has described its existing facilities as operating in communication silos. The FAA identified five initial installation locations: Atlantic City, Nashville and Greater Rochester airports, along with data-processing hubs in Atlanta and Salt Lake City. The agency has not provided a site-by-site installation schedule in its announcement. Its stated target is to complete the broader replacement by the end of 2028. The modernization concerns systems that supply information controllers use to manage air traffic, including weather conditions and other critical operational data. The FAA says...