According to a report from The New York Times, federal officials plan to phase out floppy disks in air traffic control towers, decades after the computer industry moved on from the technology. The report's summary calls the disk a "once-vaunted tech relic." The New York Times report on the floppy disk phase-out was written by Victor Mather and published on November 6, 2026.
The summary does not say when the phase-out is scheduled to be completed or what systems would replace the disks.
Separately, The Guardian reported that the Federal Aviation Administration has announced that the first digital air traffic control towers in the United States are officially operational. According to the Guardian article on the digital towers by Marina Dunbar, published November 7, 2026, the systems are going first to smaller airports in Florida and Alaska, and they provide a "360-degree view" of airport operations.
The Guardian said the Trump administration is pressing ahead with updating the country's aging systems, and that concerns have been raised about the technology. The article's summary does not say who raised those concerns or what they are, and it does not identify the specific airports beyond Florida and Alaska.
The two reports do not say whether the digital towers are connected to the planned floppy disk phase-out. Neither summary states whether the systems being introduced use floppy disks, and the available summaries give no timetable for either effort. The Times describes a planned change, while the Guardian describes systems that are already operational, according to the summaries.
Sources: The New York Times: F.A.A. to Phase Out Floppy Disks in Air Traffic Control Towers; The Guardian: FAA announces first US digital air traffic control towers in Florida and Alaska.