Read it for yourself. How many more will make this annoucement before the end of the year?

HANOI, Vietnam (AP) - Vietnam Airlines isn't taking any chances with the millennium computer bug.

The national carrier is planning to cancel domestic and international flights that would be in progress at midnight on Dec. 31, local media reported Tuesday.

The official English-language Vietnam News quoted Tran Van Yen, chief of the airline's technology program, as telling the Labor newspaper that all scheduled flights will resume after that critical moment passes.

Yen said the carrier's Fokker 70 and ART 72 aircraft could be affected more seriously that the Boeing 767, but Airbus A320 flights may involve no risk, the paper said. Pilots are being trained to fly without technical assistance.

The airline has spent almost $2 million to head off whatever damage could be caused by the Y2K problem, which is not expected to have much impact on Vietnamese airport management because it is not highly automated, Yen said.

Y2K refers to a programming glitch that officials fear could cause computers around the world to crash on Jan. 1, 2000.

Many computers originally programmed to recognize only the last two digits of a year will not work properly beginning Jan. 1, 2000, when those machines will assume it is 1900.

Most computers can be reprogrammed, but many devices have embedded microchips that must be replaced.

-- y2k dave (xsdaa111@hotmail.com), June 22, 1999

Answers

So, that's Virgin and Vietnam. I guess they're starting at the back of the alphabet. What happened to Zaire Air? Oh, oh! That would mean that United is next!

-- (dot@dot.dot), June 22, 1999.

Great piece...I think it should read ATR 72 instead of ART 72.

-- BiGG (supersite@acronet.net), June 22, 1999.

"Pilots are being trained to fly without technical assistance."

How comforting.

-- Mike Lang (webflier@erols.com), June 22, 1999.

Actually, I was only kidding about United.

From today's Wall Street Journal:

"UAL Corp.'s United Airlines currently plans to fly to all of its scheduled international destinations on the night of Dec. 31, said Rick Juster, who heads United's year-2000 project. But the company plans to evaluate each destination, and, if necessary, make adjustments days before New Year's. "For us, it's safety, safety, safety," he said. "Until we have definite information, we're not going to decide not to fly.""

Preparing for Millennium Takeoff

A snapshot of year 2000 aviation-related computer planning around the world:

North Atlantic

Year 2000 computer preparations are nearing completion.

Europe

Normal flight operations are expected, with airports and countries making major progress toward year-2000 compliance.

Middle East

Preparing a regional contingency plan based on the possibility of problems in air service along some major routes.

South America

All countries have established year-2000 committees and have inventoried equipment and systems. International organizers are working to keep air traffic flowing normally on major international routes.

Western and Central Africa

Countries are still surveying the equipment and services that may be affected by the date change. The international organizers for year-2000 aviation issues are having problems getting information from nations in this region.

Source: International Civil Aviation Organization

-- (dot@dot.dot), June 23, 1999.