Jeppesen ends paper charts after 92 years as pilots go fully digital
One of aviation’s oldest traditions ended on 31 October 2026. Jeppesen, the company whose paper navigation charts have guided pilots for more than 90 years, stopped printing them.
The company confirmed on its website that its chart printing services “have been terminated 31 October 2026”. From 1 November, all remaining paper subscriptions end, with a credit for any unused time. The charts themselves are not disappearing — they will still be available digitally, and pilots who want paper can print the files.
The story began in the 1930s, when American pilot Elrey Borge Jeppesen started writing down airfield details — runway lengths, lights and obstacles — in a small black notebook. Fellow pilots asked for copies, and in 1934 he began selling his chart book for $10. That notebook grew into a company whose charts are now used by more than one million pilots around the world.
Jeppesen says the decision comes down to cost and change. Producing, updating and posting thousands of paper charts every few weeks has become expensive, while most pilots now carry the same information on tablets and electronic flight bags. The company will keep selling its blank seven-hole paper, the punched sheets that fit its binders, for pilots who still want to print their own.
Why it matters
The change closes a chapter that began before most modern airlines existed. Paper charts never ran out of battery, crashed or lost signal — qualities pilots valued for decades. Their end shows how completely flying has gone digital: the cockpit, once full of heavy binders, now runs on screens.
For some pilots, the change is not simple. In Australia, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority warned on 28 October that existing printed Jeppesen materials can be used in pilot exams from 1 November, but they will no longer be updated — so the information in them may go out of date. Electronic versions are still banned in those exams.
What happens next
Most pilots will notice little change: airlines and large operators moved to digital charts years ago. Smaller operators and private pilots still on paper will need to switch to an electronic flight bag or arrange their own printing — a move that, for some types of flying, needs approval from aviation authorities, which can take months. Jeppesen says it will help customers make the move, with discounts on its digital products.
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- https://ww2.jeppesen.com/navigation-solutions/charts-and-airway-manual/jeppesen-paper-chart-services-phase-out/general-aviation-jeppesen-paper-chart-services-phase-out/ (Jeppesen, 31 October 2026)
- https://www.casa.gov.au/about-us/news-media-releases-and-speeches/update-pilot-exam-materials (Civil Aviation Safety Authority, 28 October 2026)
- https://avioradar.net/en/jeppesen-to-end-paper-chart-printing-after-more-than-90-years/ (AvioRadar, 2026)
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeppesen (Wikipedia, accessed 1 November 2026)
