http://www.computerweekly.co.uk/cwarchive/Xtra/19990318/cwcontainer.asp?name=C4.html (Requires free registration)

This from Computer Weekly:

Fear not for flying into 2000 as you won't know where the dangers are

A list of no-go airports, whose flight system computers could fail as a result of the millennium bug, is being compiled by the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

However, it has been announced that the #13m report will not be made available to the public until after the millennium.

An IATA spokesman said that to publish the list of unsafe destinations before the date change would be "scaremongering".

But, David Learmount, operations and safety editor on Flight International magazine, believes that the public does not need to see the list. "The idea is not to inform the public, but to let their own membership, the airlines that is, know which destinations are reliable."

He says that people flying during the date change should not worry about crashing, but delays - which are the likelier outcome of any computer failures. "Danger is not the issue, delay is. There is quite a high probability that there will be considerable delays during that time."

Is there logic here anywhere or am I missing something?

-- Mike Lang (webflier@erols.com), March 18, 1999

Answers

Mike, this is just a guess, but most "associations" are voluntarily funded by run primarily for the sole and exclusive benefit of the members of the association. To wit: ABA, AMA, etc., ad nauseum. My guess is that IATA truly doesn't give a rat's about what you know or think or what you want to know. The IATA would probably tell you to get your own association if you've got questions.

-- Puddintame (dit@dot.com), March 18, 1999.

Mike,

"However, it has been announced that the #13m report will not be made available to the public until after the millennium.

An IATA spokesman said that to publish the list of unsafe destinations before the date change would be "scaremongering".

ROTFL!!!! That is rich.

-- Deborah (infowars@yahoo.com), March 18, 1999.

""The idea is not to inform the public, but to let their own membership, the airlines that is, know which destinations are reliable." "

$$$$. Need I say more?

Yes? oh ok.

In other words, we should let the money making businesses think for us, and decide for us, what is safe and what isn't, what is "fear mongering" and what isn't.

-- Chris (catsy@pond.com), March 18, 1999.

exactly, folks, what makes you think this is happening only with airports?

-- Drew Parkhill/CBN News (y2k@cbn.org), March 19, 1999.

"Danger is not the issue, delay is." Actually it's the correct assessment. Look for various air traffic control agencies around the world to move to restrict and reduce flights over the rollover date period. Restriction could be something like limiting flights to VFR operations.

That will certainly reduce the number of flights and in turn create delays for those folks determined to be flying.

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), March 19, 1999.