FAA Winding Down Flight Service Frequencies

Mobile cockpit technology will be replacing radio-based services.

Meg Godlewski

Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 11:51 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

The FAA is investigating a near-miss incident between a Cessna Citation and a Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 after both were assigned to the same runway at San Diego International Airport. [Credit: Shutterstock]

Key Takeaways:

The FAA proposes to decommission the Flight Service Station (FSS) network's radio communication frequencies throughout the contiguous U.S. due to significantly reduced usage.
Usage of the FSS network has plummeted from 22,000 daily service requests in the mid-1980s to fewer than 300 today, primarily due to the adoption of electronic flight bags (EFBs) and other cockpit technologies.
This decommissioning aims to save an estimated $2.5 million annually in maintenance costs, with the FAA assuring that emergency frequencies will continue to be monitored by air traffic control.
The FAA is soliciting public comments on this proposal, with a deadline of May 27, before publishing a final rule.

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When was the last time you contacted Flight Service over the radio? Apparently it is happening much less often, so much so that the FAA is considering a plan to decommission the Flight Service Station (FSS) network of communication frequencies through the contiguous U.S.—with the exception of those operating in Alaska.

The FAA published the Notice of Intent to close March in the Federal Register.