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 plans to decommission the Flight Service Station (FSS) communication frequencies across the contiguous U.S. (excluding Alaska) due to a dramatic decrease in usage.
FSS radio contacts have plummeted from 22,000 daily in the mid-1980s to fewer than 300 today, largely replaced by modern cockpit technology and electronic flight bags.
The agency states the $2.5 million annual maintenance cost for the outdated FSS network outweighs its use and has not impacted safety.
After decommissioning, FSS will no longer provide in-flight advisory services in the continental U.S., though emergency frequencies will still be monitored by air traffic control; the FAA is accepting public comments on the plan until May 27.

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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.