TRANSPORTATION
Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem
[VERBATIM]
The most disturbing findings in this sector that the Committee has found are:
- Domestic airports have (on average) started very late to get ready for Y2K.
- The FAA, althought it has made great strides in the past year, has a long way to go to be ready for Y2K and remains a high risk.
- The situation with international air traffic control and airports is much worse than in the U.S. and some level of flight rationing is highly possible for some foreign destinations.
- The maritime shipping industry has not moved aggresively on Y2K. Disruptions to global trade are very likely.
- Public transit systems may not be taking the Y2K problem seriously enought to be ready for Year 2000.
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Y2K Forces ICAO To Limit New Year's Asia-Pacific Flights
The International Civil Aviation Organization decided February 26 to reduce the number of Asia-Pacific flights around New Year's Eve to head off possible problems resulting from the year 2000 computer glitch.
Under ICAO's crisis-management plan, flights on major Asia-Pacific routes will be limited to one-third the usual volume from the evening of Dec. 31 through Jan. 1, 2000 ...
According to the Japanese Transport Ministry's Aviation Bureau, a total of 64 airways on Northern Pacific, Central Pacific, Oceania and Russian routes will be affected.
Within each airway, aircraft ordinarily fly at four different altitudes, with intervals of 10 minutes between flights sharing the same altitude.
nni.nikkei.co.jp
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Why don't we all pitch in and buy Cheeky and Mitch Ratcliffe (of ZDNET fame) tickets for one of those flights which will be flying!
On a serious note ... my "ex" has been planning this luxury Millennium cruise to Tahiti during this period. I've been suggesting he go earlier or cancel the trip, and warned him about airline, shipping, telecom and foreign infrasture problems. But, he told me a few days ago that there wasn't a problem because the cruise line will be chartering a plane:-(
He said, "Well if there will be problems, Tahiti will be a great place to be." I reminded him, almost ALL food is flown in from France. Even fish. Food's EXTREMELY expensive on Tahitian islands because so much is flown in.
When we were there a few years ago, we went to the Bora Bora Yacht Club ... a funky, great place ... in Bora Bora of all places:-) The owner told us when he initially moved there from Marseille, he had stars in his eyes about owning a little seafood place on Bora Bora. He tied to get local fisherman to provide fish for first few months. Didn't work. All of his seafood has since been flown in from Brittany coast of France.
Also reminded him that December in Tahiti is middle of typhoon season. When we were there we hit 10 days on the tail of a typhoon. Not fun. Fortunately, we had 10 extra days of sun afterwards.
SIGH - He's still planning on flying over on that chartered plane the cruise line recently decided to provide.
Cheryl
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