GoKawiilFAA to replace floppy disks with new E-IDS display system at 435 facilities
The FAA announced it will roll out the Enterprise Information Display System, retiring floppy-disk-based tools used since the 1980s across more than 400 air traffic control facilities. The new system is meant to speed delivery of weather alerts (PIREPs) and Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) to controllers, replacing manual paper-strip processes. FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said the upgrade lets controllers instantly share flight alerts and airspace restrictions.
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The upgrade addresses long-standing safety concerns about delayed distribution of weather and hazard information, which the FAA has flagged as a priority risk area. Replacing decades-old hardware that is nearing technical end-of-life could reduce outage risks in a system that underpins daily flight safety nationwide. The six-year timeline to reach this point also illustrates how slowly critical infrastructure modernization can move even when officials call it urgent.
- FAA will deploy the Enterprise Information Display System (E-IDS) to over 400 facilities
- System replaces 1980s-era floppy disk and paper-strip tools used for safety alerts
- Goal is faster sharing of PIREPs, NOTAMs and airspace restriction data with controllers
Source: arstechnica.com, 2026-11-06
Published there as: “FAA to finally ditch floppy disks in what it calls "historic" tech upgrade”
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