The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), as part of an airport modernization drive, is updating various aspects of air traffic control systems, such as radars, network connections, radios, and floppy disks, which have been used since the 1980s.
A new display system will be installed in more than 400 FAA facilities, the agency said in a Nov. 5 statement.
The updates will display key operational information in one place, allowing air traffic controllers to quickly see status information and alerts, including air traffic conditions, disruptions, important advisories, and weather impacts.
The new system “gives air traffic controllers the information they need to make timely decisions and keep the flying public safe,” FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said in the statement.
“We’re moving away from outdated, manual processes and replacing technology that once relied on floppy disks with a modern system that allows controllers to instantly share critical flight alerts, restricted airspace schedules and pilot reports across the National Airspace System.”
The floppy disks stored weather data and other critical information.
The FAA aims to deliver a new, state-of-the-art air traffic control system by the end of 2028. The system is expected to replace outdated infrastructure, such as hardware, software, and telecom systems, the FAA said in a December 2025 fact sheet.
Although the current system is safe, flights must slow when equipment fails to maintain safety. The FAA noted that flight delay minutes due to equipment-related problems were 300 percent higher in 2025 than the 2010–2024 average.
The FAA is rapidly upgrading the air traffic control system nationwide and has already replaced 69 percent of copper wires, installed 226 IP Voice Switches, and transitioned 26 towers to electronic flight strips, the agency said in a recent statement.
“The greatest nation in the world deserves a state-of-the-art air traffic control system, and under President Trump, we’re delivering just that,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in the statement.
The new display system’s installation “is just the latest signal that America’s brand new air traffic control system is coming at lightning speed,” he said.
Enterprise-Information Display System
The new Enterprise-Information Display System (E-IDS) update will replace certain systems dating back to the 1980s. E-IDS is expected to improve how the FAA collects and distributes pilot reports and notices to airmen. These reports provide critical information regarding real-time pilot conditions, the FAA said.
E-IDS is expected to reduce costly repairs and workarounds while improving safety for Americans traveling by air.
Atlantic City International Airport, Nashville International Airport, Greater Rochester International Airport, and data processing hubs in Atlanta and Salt Lake City are the first five facilities receiving E-IDS.
The FAA plans to install E-IDS at 435 agency sites by the end of 2028.
America’s first digital air traffic control towers recently became operational at one airport each in Alaska and Florida as part of the modernization push. These digital towers use advanced cameras and displays to provide continuous 360-degree views of taxiways, runways, and surrounding airspace, the FAA said.
The towers have been installed at Kenai Municipal Airport in Alaska and Bartow Executive Airport in Florida.
Five airports are also set to get these systems soon—two in Florida and one each in Colorado, North Carolina, and Maryland.
“Digital towers provide controllers with greater visibility of airport activity and more information to make critical decisions,” Bedford said in the Nov. 6 statement.
“Our air traffic controllers continue to do the critical job of keeping aircraft safely separated, and we’re giving them better technology to do that.”
