Australia's Casa to Suspend 36 Y2K Non Compliant Carriers

Foreign Affairs News Source: Asia Pulse Published: Nov. 26, 1999 Posted on 11/26/1999 16:58:18 PST by gmik CANBERRA, Nov 26 Asia Pulse - Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) may take action against almost 40 aviation companies for failing to submit details of their level of Y2K compliance. failing to provide information on their preparedness for the millennium or Y2K bug.

As many as 36 air operators, maintenance firms and aerodromes may be suspended from operating over the New Year period because they have not returned Y2K statements of accomplishment.

CASA asked 1,879 aviation organisations to provide statements to provide assurance that all reasonable steps had been taken to ensure safety would not be compromised by computer or equipment date rollover problems.

The outstanding 36 will be issued with show-cause notices warning that they may be suspended over Y2K critical periods if they cannot demonstrate that safe operations can be maintained.

The main critical period is 6pm AEDT on December 31, 1999, to 6pm on January 7, 2000.

The show-cause notices give the organisations until December 13 to respond to avoid suspension.

CASA director of aviation safety Mick Toller said it was disappointing that some organisations had failed to report on Y2K readiness.

"The good news is that 98 per cent of the aviation industry has reported it's ready to cope with the Y2K rollover period," Mr Toller said in a statement.

"Australian travellers can be very confident the aviation industry is well prepared for Y2K, with the major and regional airlines having spent hundreds of millions of dollars to beat the millennium bug.

"Airservices Australia has also completed an exhaustive Y2K program that will ensure that air traffic control systems continue to operate safely.

"The bottom line is that Australians will be able to fly without safety concerns during the millennium roller period."

Commercial freight and passenger carriers who have not filed Y2K statements are: Victorian Motorless Flight Group, Interair and Western District Aviation Services in Victoria; Boonah Gliding Club, Simms Helicopters, Helirocky, Aero-David and Helicorp in Queensland; Goulburn Air Service, Chinchilla Air Services and Sydney Airborn Services in NSW; and Skylane Aviation in South Australia.

There are also four foreign airlines, not among the 36, who have not lodged statements but do not plan to fly to Australia during critical periods. They are Arrow Air and Southern Air Transport from the United States, China Southern, and Domodedovo Capa from Russia.

Aerodromes at Lockhart River and Weipa in Queensland and at Strahan in Tasmania have not filed Y2K statements, along with 20 maintenance bodies.

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-- eggman (twoofus@abbeyroad.com), November 27, 1999

Answers

Forty aviation companies that probably specialize in crop dusting or back country toolie hopping in two seat Cessnas. A bureaucracy justifying its existence.

-- Guy Daley (guydaley@bwn.ent), November 27, 1999.