A look at the digital flight strip system used by the FAA

TL;DR

The FAA is replacing paper flight strips with digital flight strip systems at 90 airports by 2028 and has Leidos implementing the system at 18 airports since November 2022. Separately, the FAA is pursuing a Common Automation Platform (CAP) contract to consolidate multiple air-traffic systems; Leidos is among five shortlisted vendors for CAP. This is a multi-year air-traffic modernization program that expands opportunity across aviation technology, air traffic management systems, systems integration, and IT modernization contractors. Affected contractors should prioritize capability alignment for digital ATM systems, compliance readiness for listed regimes, and early capture activity against CAP-related solicitations. Immediate implications include increased competition on CAP, ongoing implementation-phase subcontracting and sustainment work at airports already in rollout, and a steady pipeline of modernization work through 2028.

Key Points

• What happened: The FAA is modernizing air traffic control by replacing paper flight strips with digital systems at 90 airports by 2028; Leidos has implemented the system at 18 airports since November 2022. The FAA is also pursuing a Common Automation Platform (CAP) contract to consolidate multiple systems, with Leidos among five shortlisted vendors.
• Who is affected: NAICS 541512, 541513, 541330, 334511, 517919, 541519; agencies FAA and DOT; market segments including Aviation Technology, Air Traffic Management Systems, IT Modernization, Digital Transformation, Systems Integration, Software Development, Aviation Safety Systems.
• Timeline: Digital flight strip rollout covering 90 airports by 2028; Leidos implementations in place at 18 airports since November 2022.
• What contractors should do NOW: Map capabilities to digital flight strip and CAP requirements; validate compliance posture against NIST 800-171 (NIST Special Publication 800-171), FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program), and FAA Order 1370.121; configure alerts for CAP solicitations and airport-level procurements; prepare capture materials and draft cost and staffing models focused on systems integration and sustainment.

Who Is Affected

• Specific NAICS codes, agencies, and contract vehicles are explicitly identified in segmentation: NAICS 541512, 541513, 541330, 334511, 517919, 541519; agencies FAA and DOT; contract vehicle: Common Automation Platform (CAP).
• Compliance regimes cited: NIST 800-171, FedRAMP, FAA Order 1370.121.
• Market segments: Aviation Technology; Air Traffic Management Systems; IT Modernization; Digital Transformation; Systems Integration; Software Development; Aviation Safety Systems.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What exactly is the FAA replacing and where?

A: The FAA is replacing paper flight strips with digital flight strip systems at 90 airports by 2028. Leidos has implemented the digital system at 18 airports since November 2022.

Q: Who are the current implementers and prime contenders for CAP?

A: Leidos is currently implementing the digital flight strip system at 18 airports and is also among five shortlisted vendors for the Common Automation Platform (CAP). Details on the other shortlisted vendors or award timing are pending source review.

Q: What should small and mid-size contractors prioritize to compete?

A: Prioritize systems-integration and digital ATM capabilities, ensure compliance readiness for NIST 800-171 and FedRAMP and alignment with FAA Order 1370.121, and begin capture activities targeted at CAP solicitations and airport-level sustainment work. Specific solicitation dates and procurement vehicles are pending source review.

Definitions

• Digital flight strip system: An electronic system that replaces paper flight strips used by controllers to track and manage aircraft.
• Paper flight strips: Physical printed strips historically used in air traffic control to record flight data and status.
• Common Automation Platform (CAP): The FAA’s planned consolidated automation contract intended to replace or integrate multiple air-traffic systems.

Intelligence Response

• Cabrillo Signals War Room — Already detected this event and delivered this briefing. Continuous monitoring captured the announced digital flight strip rollout and CAP shortlist activity; alerts are active for CAP-related solicitations and airport implementation notices.
• Cabrillo Signals Match Engine — Automatically rescored opportunity pipelines to reflect increased probability for aviation-technology and systems-integration work; recommended capture targets surfaced for organizations with relevant NAICS profiles.
• Cabrillo Signals Intelligence Hub — Tracking FAA and DOT, the CAP vehicle, and the listed NAICS codes; saved searches will alert when CAP solicitations or airport-level procurements hit SAM.gov (System for Award Management) or agency sources.
• Proposal Studio (Proposal OS) & Proposal Studio Workflow Tracker — Use Proposal OS to assemble compliant proposal artifacts, compliance matrices (NIST 800-171, FedRAMP, FAA Order 1370.121), and win themes; use Workflow Tracker to manage a 9-gate capture workflow and produce audit-ready routing and decision records.

Who to notify:

• Capture Manager — lead capture planning and partner identification.
• Business Development / Sales Leadership — prioritize targets and allocate resources.
• CTO/Engineering Lead — validate technical fit and staffing.
• Cybersecurity/Compliance Lead — confirm NIST/FedRAMP/CUI (Controlled Unclassified Information) posture and any FAA-specific security requirements.
• Proposal Manager — ready proposal templates and compliance matrices.

First 48-hour response playbook:

• Hour 0–4: Confirm receipt of this briefing; activate a CAP/ATM opportunity watchlist in Cabrillo Signals Intelligence Hub; notify capture and BD leads.
• Hour 4–12: Run Match Engine rescore of active pipelines; identify top-fit opportunities and perform a gap analysis against NIST 800-171, FedRAMP, and FAA Order 1370.121.
• Hour 12–24: Convene capture stand-up with CTO, security lead, and proposal manager; begin partner mapping and subcontracting outreach for airport sustainment work.
• Hour 24–48: Populate Proposal Studio with preliminary win themes, compliance evidence, and a 9-gate Workflow Tracker schedule; set saved-search alerts for CAP solicitations and airport implementation awards.

Reference guides and next steps:

• Primary hub: Winning Federal Contracts Guide (/insights/winning-federal-contracts)
• Related guidance: CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification) Compliance Guide (/insights/cmmc-compliance-guide) and CUI-Safe CRM Guide (/insights/cui-safe-crm-guide)