Foreign airline, airport Y2K readiness remains unclear

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/1999/06/29/national0115EDT0419.DTL&type=tech_article

-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), June 29, 1999

Answers

[Fair Use: For Educational/Research Purposes Only]

Foreign airline, airport Y2K readiness remains unclear

GLEN JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer

Tuesday, June 29, 1999

Breaking News Sections

(06-29) 11:28 PDT WASHINGTON (AP) -- The global deadline was Thursday for countries to report the readiness of their airlines and airports for the Year 2000 computer problem, but the traveling public won't know any results until later this summer.

The International Civil Aviation Organization, a U.N.-based group responsible for international aviation standards, asked its 185 member nations to answer a questionnaire about their readiness by July 1.

Aviation experts expect the United States and many countries in Europe and the developed areas of Asia to be ready, but the biggest problems may occur in developing nations, which were slow in committing attention and resources to the problem.

Denis Chagnon, a spokesman for the civil aviation organization, said in an interview last week, ``The response was slow getting off the mark, but ... I think the response will pick up.''

The State Department and the Federal Aviation Administration plan to use the data to issue travel advisories starting in mid- to late July. The two agencies also hope to gain insight from the International Air Transport Association, a trade group that represents 265 international airlines. It has been conducting a private survey of airline readiness.

Because both sets of information are self-reported and won't be available for public inspection, it's unclear how reliable and useful it may be.

``It's hoped that between the two of them, we might get some kind of picture into readiness,'' said FAA spokesman Paul Takemoto. ``The accuracy of that picture is yet to be determined.''

[snip]

The FAA has been criticized for its slow start in addressing the problem, but it said all its vital computer systems will be repaired and ready to handle the changeover by Wednesday.

Airports around the world are seen as susceptible to Y2K problems because they rely on outside services, from electricity to local phone service. Regardless of the repairs an airport makes to its own computers and on-site backup systems, the services in its terminals or along its baggage belts may be vulnerable to problems off the airport property.

U.S. airlines and the government have also been eager to gauge overseas readiness. Many U.S. carriers have partnerships with foreign airlines, so they need to ensure a smooth transfer of their passengers over the post-holiday travel period. Also, the government wants to make sure that foreign airfields are safe for U.S.- registered aircraft.

International airlines are picking up the pace of their work and expect to spend $2.3 billion overall readying their computer systems, said Kevin Dobby, senior director at the International Air Transport Association.

Airlines have already passed one critical test: Their computers have started processing reservations for flights next year.

``We're not out of the woods, but we're encouraged by what we're starting to see,'' Dobby said. ``We spent a lot of time trying to raise awareness, and it appears that we have been successful at that.'' ----------------------------------------------------------------------

-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), June 29, 1999.


Wow! They can take reservations...Now if they can staff, fuel, maintain, load and unload baggage (on the correct planes!), take off, land, and find their way between airports, we have little to worry about!

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), June 30, 1999.

Moderation questions? read the FAQ