FAA plans to replace floppy-disk air traffic displays by 2028
The FAA says E-IDS will replace four aging information-display systems at 435 sites, starting with five named locations.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
3 min read
The FAA floppy disks replacement plan calls for new controller information displays at 435 facilities by the end of 2028. The agency says the Enterprise Information Display System, or E-IDS, will replace several older systems that use obsolete technology, including floppy disks, and consolidate operational data used in air traffic control.
The announcement sets a target rather than marking a completed nationwide conversion. The FAA has named Atlantic City International Airport, Nashville International Airport, Greater Rochester International Airport, and data-processing hubs in Atlanta and Salt Lake City as the first locations slated to receive E-IDS.
What will the FAA floppy disks replacement change?
According to the FAA, E-IDS will take the place of four legacy display systems: Information Display System 4, or IDS-4; Controller Equipment Information Display System, or ACE-IDS; NAS Information Display System, or NIDS; and En Route Information Display System, or ERIDS.
The agency says the new platform will give controllers a consolidated view of information needed to control aircraft. That includes weather data, pilot reports, Notices to Airmen, known as NOTAMs, and restricted-airspace schedules. NOTAMs alert aviation users to hazards, abnormal conditions and other information relevant to flight operations.
FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said E-IDS is intended to replace manual processes and allow controllers to instantly share critical flight alerts, restricted-airspace schedules and pilot reports across the National Airspace System. Those expected speed and safety benefits are FAA projections, rather than independently measured results from the planned deployment.
Why are the older FAA displays being replaced?
A September 2026 Government Accountability Office assessment, as reported by Ars Technica, said the legacy systems rely on obsolete technology, including floppy disks, and interfaces dating to the 1980s. The GAO also cited inefficient data organization and manual updates, saying the systems can be cumbersome for controllers to search, retrieve and display information.
Those displays are used in air route traffic control centers, terminal radar approach control facilities and control towers, according to the GAO account. They show textual and graphical material, including approach charts, weather and NOTAM information, that supports communications and flight operations between controllers and pilots.
A Department of Transportation report released in April said controllers had been using a floppy-disk-driven system and an aging operating system for weather, NOTAMs and airport-status information. The report said E-IDS is designed to bring that information into one view, rather than requiring controllers to search separate sources.
The FAA awarded Leidos a contract to design and develop E-IDS in August 2020, according to Ars Technica. The system is part of the agency's broader NextGen modernization effort, and the FAA's current schedule calls for completion across all 435 sites by the end of 2028.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.