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 majority of Flight Service Station (FSS) communication frequencies in the contiguous U.S., excluding Alaska.
This decision stems from a drastic decline in pilot usage—from 22,000 daily requests in the 1980s to fewer than 300 today—due to the prevalence of modern cockpit technology like electronic flight bags.
The agency notes that maintaining the underutilized FSS network costs $2.5 million annually, and while emergency frequencies will still be monitored by air traffic control, in-flight advisory services from FSS will cease in the continental U.S.
The FAA is soliciting public comments on the decommissioning plan until May 27.

See a mistake? Contact us.

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.