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FAA begins replacing 1980s floppy disk systems at air traffic control facilities

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a plan to put the Enterprise Information Display System at 435 sites by 2028, replacing four 1980s systems.

Published Nov 7, 2026 · 23:48 UTC2 reports

The short version

  • The FAA is replacing outdated floppy disk systems dating to the 1980s at more than 400 facilities with the Enterprise Information Display System.[Hacker News]
  • The first five sites are Atlantic City, Nashville, and Greater Rochester airports, plus data hubs in Atlanta and Salt Lake City.[Hacker News]
  • The FAA plans to complete installation at 435 sites by the end of 2028 and says it has already made partial progress on related upgrades.[Hacker News]
  • Reuters reports the agency has bought spare parts on eBay for Windows 95 Compaq computers, and Duffy has requested an additional $30 billion from Congress.[Jalopnik]

Key facts

  • The FAA is replacing four systems from the 1980s that are in more than 400 facilities with the Enterprise Information Display System.[Hacker News]
  • The first five facilities to receive upgrades are Atlantic City International Airport, Nashville International Airport, Greater Rochester International Airport, and data processing hubs in Atlanta and Salt Lake City.[Hacker News]
  • The FAA plans to install the Enterprise Information Display System at 435 sites by the end of 2028.[Jalopnik · Hacker News]
  • The FAA reports having replaced 69% of copper wires and installed Surface Awareness Initiative systems at 143 towers.[Hacker News]
  • Reuters reports that the agency has used eBay to buy spare parts for Compaq computers running Windows 95.[Jalopnik]
  • Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy requested an additional $30 billion from Congress in September for facility modernization and AI air traffic control tools.[Jalopnik]

What remains uncertain

  • Jalopnik describes the first facilities as already transitioned, while the FAA describes them as the first to receive upgrades, so their current status is unclear.[Jalopnik · Hacker News]
  • Whether Congress will approve the requested additional $30 billion is not reported.[Jalopnik]
  • The eBay spare-parts detail is attributed to Reuters and is not independently confirmed in the provided reporting.[Jalopnik]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.