Why does the FAA still use floppy disks? The U.S. Department of Transportation’s May 2025 modernization plan identifies them in Alaska’s OASIS systems and in information display systems used across the National Airspace System (NAS). That is a specific example of legacy equipment—not evidence that every part of air traffic control runs on floppy disks. The broader overhaul covers communications, surveillance, weather, training, displays and, in a later phase, traffic-management automation.
Where the floppy disks fit—and what the FAA is modernizing
The disks are a sign of how long some systems have remained in service, but they are not the whole story. The DOT plan also describes legacy display technology, including 1980s-era interfaces, inefficient ways of organizing data and manual updates. Those systems help present information to air traffic personnel; they are distinct from the communications and surveillance systems that support other parts of air traffic control.
The FAA’s Brand New Air Traffic Control System (BNATCS) is a broader modernization effort. Its work is divided into phases by function, rather than being a single replacement of every system at once.
Phase 1: modernize foundational systems
Phase 1 includes communications, surveillance, weather and training systems, among other work. GAO reported a December 2028 target for this phase. That is a target for phase 1, not a completion deadline for the entire modernization effort.
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Phase 2: develop traffic-management automation
Phase 2 is intended to develop automation for tracking aircraft and optimizing traffic. In its September 14, 2026 report, GAO said the FAA had not estimated when phase 2 would start or finish.
What else is being replaced?
Telecommunications and fiber
The DOT’s May 2025 plan describes a transition from time-division multiplexing (TDM) telecommunications toward Internet Protocol (IP), alongside upgrades to FAA systems. It says the FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure network dates to 2002 and relied on TDM technology originating in the 1960s, serving more than 30,000 services at 4,600 sites.
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The plan also recounts a major carrier’s July 2024 notice that 33% of NAS services were at risk of discontinuance up to two years earlier than anticipated. That is the plan’s account of a carrier warning, not a current outage rate or a statement that those services have since been discontinued.
As of May 2026, the FAA reported replacing 2,560 of 5,170 old copper wires with fiber, according to GAO. That dated progress figure does not establish the current completion status.
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Voice communications and radios
The plan describes voice as the primary real-time way controllers issue instructions, coordinate aircraft movements and support safety across the NAS. It sets a target of replacing more than 25,000 radios. That radio target is one part of the communications modernization, not a count of floppy-disk systems.
What the reported costs and deadlines do—and do not—mean
GAO’s September 2026 report distinguishes the congressional appropriation from the FAA’s estimates for parts of the work. Those figures have different scopes and should not be treated as a complete price for the modernization effort.
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| Figure | What it covers | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| $12.5 billion | BNATCS appropriation | Congress appropriated this amount in July 2025, as reported by GAO in 2026. It is an appropriation, not a comprehensive lifecycle cost estimate. |
| $10.615 billion | Phase 1 systems modernization | FAA’s high-level estimate provided to GAO in June 2026. GAO said it was unsupported by analysis and omitted government costs and most operations costs. |
| About $10.2 billion | Phase 2 | FAA estimate reported by GAO in 2026; it excludes facilities. GAO did not report an estimated phase 2 start or finish date. |
GAO found that the FAA lacked a comprehensive, documented lifecycle cost estimate. As a result, the reported phase estimates do not establish the full cost of buying, installing, operating and supporting the systems over their lifetimes.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why GAO says the schedule is a concern
GAO found that the FAA had no integrated master schedule for phase 1. As of May 2026, FAA schedule data contained 11,389 individual schedules that had not been integrated. Without a joined-up schedule, it is harder to see how work at different locations and across different systems fits together or to assess whether the overall target is achievable.
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GAO also found that planned installations at shared sites were generally not optimized to reduce impacts on controller operations. Its criticism is about planning and acquisition risk: weak cost and schedule controls raise the risk of overruns, delays and missed performance targets. Those findings do not, by themselves, establish that modernization has caused a particular safety incident.
Quick Recap
How to read the modernization claims
- Separate the systems: a display, a radio, a telecommunications link and traffic-management automation perform different jobs. Replacing one does not mean the others have been replaced.
- Check the date: progress figures in GAO’s report are snapshots, including the FAA’s wire-replacement status as of May 2026.
- Distinguish the deadline from the whole program: December 2028 is the reported phase 1 target. GAO said no phase 2 start or finish estimate had been set.
- Check what an estimate includes: a systems estimate or a phase estimate is not necessarily a full lifecycle cost. GAO specifically found no comprehensive documented lifecycle estimate.
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