Dec 16, 1999 - 06:13 PM

FAA Plans 'business as Usual' on New Year's Eve

By Glen Johnson

Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Federal Aviation Administration does not plan any special air traffic control precautions New Year's Eve, thanks to lighter-than-normal airline schedules and the agency's confidence in its ability to handle the Y2K bug.

There had been speculation the FAA might increase the standard separation between airplanes or cut back flights to give an expanded safety buffer.

Those steps are unnecessary, said Mary Powers-King, head of the agency's Year 2000 readiness office.

"We will be conducting business as usual. There will be no changes," she said at a briefing on the agency's readiness.

Powers-King said one reason is that airlines have cut back even further on their already light New Year's schedules.

For example, the FAA administrator, Jane Garvey, is planning to fly coast to coast on New Year's Eve to show her confidence in the agency's preparations. She had to rearrange her plans several times because the carrier she chose, American Airlines, kept altering flights due to light passenger demand.

Powers-King also said that after spending $368 million, the FAA is confident its computers will handle the date change without a problem.

There is widespread uncertainty about how computers and computer-controlled equipment will function as 1999 rolls over to 2000.

Older equipment and software were designed to recognize years in two-digit format, such as "99" for 1999. Computer experts suspect that without alteration, some computers might malfunction at the stroke of midnight after misconstruing the start of 2000 - "00" in the early computer parlance - with the start of 1900.

The uncertainty is particularly troubling in the aviation industry, where computers control everything from radar systems to automatic runway lighting.

Powers-King said the FAA has 628 computer systems, of which 424 are deemed critical to maintaining the agency's operations. Of those, only 65 air traffic control systems used dates because most air traffic control functions require real-time computing power, and are more dependent on hours and minutes than days and weeks.

The FAA tested its Y2K repairs in Denver in April and certified its entire agency as ready by June 30. That assessment later was supported by independent auditors.

Powers-King said she also expects some problems at airports, such as with automated baggage systems, but the FAA does not have responsibility in that area.

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Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), December 16, 1999

Answers

Since almost no one is flying, I can understand the FAA lack of concern. They probably won't have overloaded systems (unless "old" tracks are not dropped and systems crash for lack of memory...or some such problem).

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), December 16, 1999.