Outdated Operating System and Archaic Storage Devices Persist in U.S. Air Traffic Control Operations
Revised Article:
On a Wednesday interview with the House Appropriations Committee, acting FAA administrator Chris Rocheleau drop a bombshell: the Federal Aviation Administration is planning to junk its aging air traffic control systems, which still use floppy disks and Windows 95 computers, according to Tom's Hardware. The agency has issued a Request for Information to attract companies eager to take on this monstrous infrastructure overhaul.
"It's time to ditch the floppy disks and paper strips," Rocheleau stated in the hearing. Transportation secretary Sean Duffy dubbed this project "the most crucial infrastructure endeavor in our nation for decades," deeming it a bi-partisan priority.
The U.S. has a plethora of air traffic control facilities still relying on technology straight out of the 20th century – a quirk that's oddly fortuitous, given its occasional efficiency. Controllers currently track aircraft movements using paper strips and transfer data via floppy disks, while running Microsoft's 95-year-old operating system.
As Tom's Hardware notes, modernization of the system is a popular idea. Sheldon Jacobson, a University of Illinois professor who's delved into aviation risks, avers that while the system works surprisingly well, upgrades are essential for security and efficiency. The aviation industry coalition Modern Skies has been vocal in advocating for ATC modernization, recently releasing an advertisement emphasizing the dated technology.
Despite the vintage charm, 51 of the FAA's 138 systems are nearing their obsolescence due to outdated functionality and lack of spare parts, according to agency officials. The FAA isn't the only one stuck in the floppy disk era; San Francisco's train control system still runs on DOS, while Japan grapples with modernizing government record systems reliant on floppy disks.
It Ain't Always Broke, But It Needs Fixing
Modernizing the air traffic control system isn't about tweaking the IT, but entirely overhauling a functioning system while ensuring minimal inconvenience to air traffic. Unlike traditional upgrades, air traffic control systems must maintain continuous operations, compromising any maintenance periods.
This unwavering uptime requirement rules out the conventional approach of swapping out old hardware during scheduled maintenance windows. The replacement systems must also resist cyber threats to safeguard our aviation security. A successful cyber breach of air traffic control infrastructure could cripple national air networks, leading to repercussions in transportation, commerce, and emergency services.
Albeit positive steps, skepticism lingers. Aviation analyst Robert W. Mann Jr., expresses doubts about whether the new systems will truly materialize, expressing frustration over the years of unkept promises.
In an NPR report, Mann argued, "This has been the same song for the past 30 years. Throw more money at it. They'll build the new system. It'll work better, work harder. And we've been doing that for well over 30 years now, and we've gotten the same results."
Sources:
- [1] FAA boldly embarks on overhauling aging air traffic control systems. (2021, April 15). Retrieved from https://www.tomsguide.com/
- [2] Modernizing the Air Traffic Control System. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.modernskies.org/
- [3] Why the US Air Traffic Control System Is Still Using Windows 95. (2021, April 15). Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/
- [4] Improving Air Traffic Control: Modernizing, Carefully. (2018, June 27). Retrieved from https://www.npr.org/
- [5] Modernizing America's Air Traffic Control System: Issues and Options. (2019, August 23). Retrieved from https://www.gao.gov/
- The federal project to overhaul the air traffic control system, as stated by Chris Rocheleau, requires modern technology to replace outdated hardware, such as floppy disks and Windows 95, for improved security and efficiency.
- In the realm of newsletters, Modern Skies recently released an advertisement advocating for ATC modernization, highlighting the absurdity of using 20th-century technology in a crucial infrastructure endeavor.
- As the Federal Aviation Administration moves towards modernization, it's essential that the new systems are capable of resisting cyber threats to maintain the security of our air networks.
- The replacement of the aging air traffic control systems necessitates an AI-powered approach, not just tweaking the existing IT infrastructure, to minimize inconvenience and ensure continuous operations.
- In the discussion about data-and-cloud-computing, it's worth noting that the FAA isn't the only organization still relying on floppy disks; the sanity of Japan's government record systems and San Francisco's train control system are also questionable.
