FAA administrator Chris Rocheleaume reported to the House Committee on Appropriations that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) plans to replace its outdated air traffic control systems.
This was reported by Ars Technica. The systems in question currently still use floppy disks and computers running Windows 95. The agency issued an official call for companies to submit proposals for this large-scale infrastructure upgrade.
According to Rocheleau, the goal is to replace the entire system. There will be no more room for floppy disks or paper strips. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy called it the most important infrastructure renewal in decades. He emphasized that this is a project with broad political support.
Most traffic control towers and control centers in the US still use technology from the last century. This is not necessarily a problem as long as it continues to function properly. Air traffic controllers sometimes still use paper strips to track aircraft movements. They also exchange information via diskettes on computers running Windows 95, which has been in use since 1995.
Modernization necessary
According to Tom’s Hardware, there is broad support for modernization. Professor Sheldon Jacobson of the University of Illinois, who researches aviation risks, says the system works surprisingly well. But he adds that modernization is necessary. The advocacy group Modern Skies is campaigning for the system to be updated.
Although these old systems may have unintentionally protected against global disruptions such as the CrowdStrike crisis in 2024, FAA officials say that 51 of the 138 systems are now unsustainable due to outdated functionality. There is also a lack of spare parts.
Incidentally, the FAA is not the only organization still working with floppy disks. In San Francisco, the train control system still operates on DOS, utilizing 5.25-inch floppy disks. Due to budget constraints, replacement is not possible before 2030. Japan has also been struggling for years to modernize its government registration systems, which still use floppy disks.
Preventing cyberattacks
Modernizing the air traffic control system involves more than simply installing new computers. The systems must continue to run 24 hours a day, as any failure would have immediate consequences for safety. This makes it impossible to replace them traditionally during scheduled maintenance periods. New systems must also be resistant to cyberattacks, as a successful attack on air traffic control could disrupt the entire national network, affecting transportation, trade, and emergency services.
However, not everyone is convinced that this upgrade will deliver the desired results. Aviation analyst Robert W. Mann Jr. expressed his skepticism in an interview with NPR. He pointed out that promises like these have been made for 30 years: more money, new systems, better performance. But, according to him, this has never delivered the expected progress.
Delays and cancellations due to outdated systems
The vulnerability of the current system was once again exposed during a malfunction in January 2023, when an error in the Notice to Airmen system led to the grounding of all air traffic in the US for more than two hours. According to experts, this was due to outdated infrastructure and damaged database files. Sources told CNN that necessary updates have been repeatedly delayed due to budget issues. More recently, radar and communication problems at Newark Liberty International Airport caused hundreds of delays and cancellations. A wiring error was cited as a possible cause.
The Department of Transportation has drawn up a four-year plan to complete the modernization, but experts doubt whether this is feasible given the scale and complexity of the project. Jacobson called the timetable “unrealistically optimistic” in the NPR interview, partly because no cost estimate has yet been presented.
The FAA announced so-called Industry Days, during which companies can present their technologies and proposals to government officials. The White House has not yet provided an estimate of the expected costs. Nevertheless, Duffy emphasized the necessity: everyone agrees that this must be done, regardless of political affiliation.
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