The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has begun replacing information systems for air traffic control that still rely on floppy disks and other technology dating to the 1980s, News12 reported.

The FAA said the disks being retired have been used for decades to store “vital weather and other critical information” used by air traffic controllers.

The agency announced on Thursday that it is deploying a new platform called the Enterprise Information Display System (E-IDS). It combines the operational information controllers use into one digital system and replaces four legacy systems now in use at more than 400 facilities across the country.

Atlantic City International Airport is among the first sites to get the upgrade, along with airports in Nashville and Rochester and data-processing hubs in Atlanta and Salt Lake City.

According to the FAA, the new system gives controllers faster access to weather information, airspace restrictions, equipment status updates, and other operational alerts. It will also improve how pilot weather reports and Notices to Airmen (NOTAMs) are collected and distributed.

The agency plans to install E-IDS at 435 sites by the end of 2028.

US Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said in a statement, "Good news, America: floppy disks are out; 21st-century tech is in.”

The FAA said the project is one of several upgrades under way across the national air traffic control network.

Source: News12