Air traffic controllers (ATCs) overseeing Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (KDCA) have made the jump from paper to electronic flight strips, an upgrade the Department of Transportation said will increase safety and efficiency.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the transition in a video posted to X on Thursday.
“This is what air traffic controllers used to pass an airplane off from one controller to the next,” said Duffy, holding up one of the paper strips to the camera. “We’re going digital, and that’s because [the] One Big Beautiful Bill, Donald Trump, and Republicans in Congress gave us $12.5 billion.”
Later in the video, Duffy said ATCs have been asking for electronic flight strips “for years.”
The electronic flight strips are a part of the Terminal Flight Data Manager (TDFM), a tower-based program that shares information among controllers, air traffic managers, aircraft operators, and airports. The strips provide real-time updates, streamline the flight plan process, and enable collaborative decision-making around surface movement, according to the FAA.
The Trump administration plans to commit over $30 billion in total to rebuild the nation’s ATC infrastructure and update antiquated technology, though so far only $12.5 billion has been set aside for that purpose. Officials have called this disbursement a “down payment” that will support operational modernization, including the phaseout of paper flight strips, floppy disks, and copper wiring.
In his video, Duffy highlighted the future upgrades expected at FAA facilities near Washington, D.C., and across the country.
“We’re going to do radars, radio, and telecom to make sure you have the best air traffic control system in the world,” he said.
