{"id":156411,"date":"2025-05-14T07:41:00","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T06:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/engelmann.com\/?p=156411"},"modified":"2025-05-12T19:56:13","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T18:56:13","slug":"outdated-air-traffic-control-usa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/engelmann.com\/en\/security\/outdated-air-traffic-control-usa\/","title":{"rendered":"Security Alert in the USA: New York Airport Still Working with Floppy Disks!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Look Back at the Stone Age of Technology<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>While modern aircraft glide through the air with advanced avionics, satellite navigation, and automated assistance systems, time seems to have stood still on the ground in the USA &#8211; more precisely, in the 1990s. At Newark Airport (New Jersey), one of the largest international hubs in the United States, a technology that is now just a nostalgic relic for many is still in use: the <strong>3.5-inch floppy disk<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n<p>Yes, you read that right &#8211; <strong>Floppy Disks<\/strong>. The security software for managing and maintaining air traffic control systems is partially loaded via floppy disks. This is not a joke, but bitter reality &#8211; and an alarming signal for the general safety of US air traffic.  <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What Exactly Is Wrong Here?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>According to a recent report by the US Government Accountability Office, <strong>51 out of 138 air traffic control systems<\/strong> of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) are in a state classified as <strong>&#8220;urgently in need of modernization&#8221;<\/strong>. These systems do not affect unimportant peripheral areas, but rather the <strong>most central aspects<\/strong> of flight safety: <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Navigation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Communication<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Weather monitoring<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Flight monitoring<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>Some of the systems are <strong>over 40 years old<\/strong>, and this is felt not only by the technicians &#8211; but also by the passengers.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Spare Parts on eBay: A Declaration of Bankruptcy<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>US Secretary of Transportation <strong>Sean P. Duffy (53)<\/strong> recently raised a public alarm. The condition of the systems is not only unacceptable but potentially <strong>life-threatening<\/strong>. The outdated technology is extremely prone to failure. Spare parts are hardly available on the free market. Instead, components are sought on <strong>online marketplaces like eBay<\/strong> &#8211; a bizarre and frightening state in a country that considers itself a technological superpower.    <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Technical Failures and Staff Shortages: A Dangerous Mix<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>In recent weeks, there have been several <strong>serious incidents<\/strong> at Newark Airport. Radar and communication systems failed repeatedly, leading to <strong>massive flight delays<\/strong> and even flight cancellations. The <strong>acute shortage of air traffic controllers<\/strong> further exacerbates the problem.  <\/p>\n\n<p>A failure of these systems during flight operations can have fatal consequences &#8211; especially in bad weather or during high air traffic.<\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>A Renovation Plan with Hurdles<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>The FAA and the Department of Transportation are planning a comprehensive modernization program. Plans include: <\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Renewal of radar systems<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Replacement of floppy disk systems<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Introduction of fiber optic, radio, and satellite technology<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Construction of new air traffic control centers<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>But as is often the case: Between plan and implementation lie worlds &#8211; and <strong>eight billion dollars<\/strong>. This is the amount the US government is budgeting for the renewal of air traffic control systems. The implementation is supposed to be completed <strong>within three to four years<\/strong>.  <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>How Did It Come to This?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>Many experts see the causes in <strong>years of investment backlog<\/strong>. While other countries like Germany, Canada, or Switzerland invested heavily in modern air traffic control, the USA saved money &#8211; and in the wrong place. The pressure to save, combined with inadequate long-term planning, has led to a reliance today on outdated technologies that any IT expert would have long since written off.  <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Safety Should Not Be a Question of Budget<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<p>The dependence on ancient technology, as observed in Newark, not only poses a risk to individual airports &#8211; it endangers the entire trust in <strong>American aviation<\/strong>. Passengers expect modern technology to ensure their safety &#8211; not 30-year-old software on floppy disks. <\/p>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What Do We Learn from This?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Safety must always be a priority.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Technological backlogs endanger lives.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Long-term maintenance and modernization are not a luxury &#8211; but a duty.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Engelmann Software says: Modern software solutions are not optional<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n<p>As a software company, we know: Old systems can be useful during transition periods &#8211; but they should <strong>never become the backbone of critical infrastructures<\/strong>. Security, maintainability, and future viability must be ensured in every area &#8211; whether in aviation, communication, or the private sector. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Look Back at the Stone Age of Technology While modern aircraft glide through the air with advanced avionics, satellite navigation, and automated assistance systems, &#8230; <a title=\"Security Alert in the USA: New York Airport Still Working with Floppy Disks!\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/engelmann.com\/en\/security\/outdated-air-traffic-control-usa\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Security Alert in the USA: New York Airport Still Working with Floppy Disks!\">Details \u279c<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":156407,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-156411","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-security","infinite-scroll-item","masonry-post","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-50","no-featured-image-padding"],"aioseo_notices":[],"spectra_custom_meta":{"_wpml_media_duplicate":["1"],"_wpml_media_featured":["1"],"_top_nav_excluded":[""],"_cms_nav_minihome":[""],"_aioseo_title":["Security Alert: US Airport Newark Still Using Floppy Disks"],"_aioseo_description":["US air traffic control still uses 80s technology: Floppy disks at Newark Airport and outdated systems alarm authorities. Find out everything here! "],"_thumbnail_id":["156407"],"_last_translation_edit_mode":["translation-editor"],"_wpml_word_count":["690"],"_encloseme":["1"],"aal_manualgenerated":["a:0:{}"],"_uag_page_assets":["a:9:{s:3:\"css\";s:0:\"\";s:2:\"js\";s:0:\"\";s:18:\"current_block_list\";a:4:{i:0;s:12:\"core\/heading\";i:1;s:14:\"core\/paragraph\";i:2;s:9:\"core\/list\";i:3;s:14:\"core\/list-item\";}s:8:\"uag_flag\";b:0;s:11:\"uag_version\";s:10:\"1776265684\";s:6:\"gfonts\";a:0:{}s:10:\"gfonts_url\";s:0:\"\";s:12:\"gfonts_files\";a:0:{}s:14:\"uag_faq_layout\";b:0;}"]},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/engelmann.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/floppy.png",1024,1024,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/engelmann.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/floppy-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/engelmann.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/floppy-300x300.png",300,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/engelmann.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/floppy-768x768.png",768,768,true],"large":["https:\/\/engelmann.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/floppy.png",1024,1024,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/engelmann.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/floppy.png",1024,1024,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/engelmann.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/floppy.png",1024,1024,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Tim Stoepler","author_link":"https:\/\/engelmann.com\/en\/author\/tim-stoepler\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"A Look Back at the Stone Age of Technology While modern aircraft glide through the air with advanced avionics, satellite navigation, and automated assistance systems, ... Details \u279c","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/engelmann.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156411","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/engelmann.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/engelmann.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engelmann.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/13"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engelmann.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=156411"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/engelmann.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156411\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":156412,"href":"https:\/\/engelmann.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/156411\/revisions\/156412"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engelmann.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/156407"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/engelmann.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=156411"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engelmann.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=156411"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/engelmann.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=156411"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}