In a big win for everyone who would rather their safety not depend on defunct tech notorious for being easily corrupted and erased, the FAA is finally replacing its floppy drives.
Filed firmly in the “that’s still a thing?” category, the FAA still relies on floppy disks in more than 400 air traffic control facilities across the US. For those keeping score, floppy disks fell out of favor decades ago, and production of the disks largely ceased in 2011. Adding to the consternation is the well-deserved reputation floppy disks have for data corruption and erasure when exposed to magnetic fields.
According to Reuters, the FAA is finally planning on replacing the ancient technology, although the transition won’t be complete until the end of 2028.
“We’re moving away from outdated, manual processes and replacing technology that once relied on floppy disks with a modern system that allows controllers to instantly share critical flight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,” said FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford.
For travelers, the end of 2028 can’t come fast enough.
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