The Federal Aviation Administration is doing away with its floppy disks and consolidating four separate systems into a new centralized information display system.
The floppy disks, in use since the 1980s, contain information on weather and other critical subjects for air traffic controllers.
The FAA said Thursday that replacing the disks and the systems they support will provide “a single, secure system that gives air traffic controllers faster access to information they need” and will “reduce costly repairs and workarounds while enhancing safety for the American flying public.”
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In particular, the new Enterprise-Information Display System will improve how real-time reports on weather from pilots are collected and how those reports and official Notices to Airmen (NOTAMS) are distributed, the FAA said.
The first five FAA facilities to get the new consolidated system will be Atlantic City International Airport, Greater Rochester International Airport, Nashville International Airport and two data processing centers located in Atlanta and Salt Lake City.
Work on creating a new information display system for air traffic controllers began six years ago, according to Ars Technica, and the current floppy disk-based systems have come under fire from within the government.
A September report from the Government Accountability Office said that the old systems “are cumbersome for controllers to search, retrieve, and display information. Multiple diverse display systems create inefficient activities needed to sustain these systems.”
The FAA plans to have the new system in place at 435 of its facilities nationwide by the end of 2028.
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