US aviation agency plans to replace floppy disks by 2028

Air traffic control towers are finally shedding their vintage floppy disks in a planned upgrade.

Federal aviation authorities plan to eliminate legacy floppy disk technology from air traffic control systems by 2028. Decades after the broader computer industry abandoned the storage medium, towers continue to rely on the vintage tech. The scheduled replacement forms part of ongoing modernization efforts for national airspace infrastructure.

• The timelineThe transition is scheduled for completion by 2028.
• The contextAir traffic control towers have relied on the legacy storage medium for decades.
• The goalModernization efforts aim to update outdated components across national aviation networks.