FAA modernization · San Francisco

Does SFO Still Use Paper Flight Strips?

San Francisco International is one of 89 airports in the FAA's TFDM modernization program. This page isolates its current status, published schedule, evidence, and latest verification.

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SFOAirport
Electronic strips liveCurrent status
Not publishedPublished date

SFO's electronic flight strips status

San Francisco International

Electronic strips live
San Francisco, CA

SFO is live on the FAA's Terminal Flight Data Manager electronic flight strip system. The FAA has not published the exact cutover date.

Confirmed live on the FAA’s Modern Skies dashboard — the FAA hasn’t published the cutover date.

Sources (3) verified Aug 11, 2026
  1. FAA Modern Skies
  2. US DOT Inspector General
  3. FedScoop

What changes when SFO goes digital

Paper flight strips are physical records controllers print, mark by hand, and pass between positions. TFDM moves that workflow to electronic displays and connects it to surface tools that help sequence departures and manage taxi-out demand. It is an airport-tower rollout, separate from the radar and telecom programs also included in the FAA's Modern Skies banner.

The status above follows airport-specific evidence. A national deadline or an old waterfall schedule is not treated as proof that SFO is live; the page changes only when the cited sources support the new status.

United construction at SFO

Tower modernization is only one infrastructure story here. The United hub tracker follows 2 club, terminal, gate, or airport projects at SFO, with separate labels for United-funded work and airport-authority construction.

See every tracked United project at SFO →

Quick answers

Does SFO use electronic flight strips?

SFO is live on the FAA's Terminal Flight Data Manager electronic flight strip system. The FAA has not published the exact cutover date.

When will SFO stop using paper flight strips?

SFO is already listed as live on electronic flight strips. The FAA does not publish the exact cutover date.

What is TFDM at SFO?

Terminal Flight Data Manager is the FAA system replacing paper flight strips with electronic flight data displays and surface-management tools. At SFO, the tracker follows the airport-specific installation status rather than the broader national program promise.

Check another United hub tower