Mexico Says Airports, Airlines Pass Y2K Test

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Mexico Says Airports, Airlines Pass Y2K Test

Updated 5:54 PM ET August 3, 1999MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican aviation officials said Tuesday they completed a glitch-free, large-scale test of air traffic control and communication systems and were sure the country's air space was safe for the year 2000 date change.

"The test was done on July 31 and it was a total success," Agustin Arellano, director of Navigation Services in Mexican Air Space, told reporters at a ceremony.

At the event, various companies that provide communications, navigation and air traffic control equipment to Mexican airports and airlines provided the government with certificates guaranteeing their computers met Y2K compliance standards.

Computers could malfunction or work incorrectly at the beginning of 2000 because they were programmed to read only the last two digits of a year date, and will be confused by a pair of zeros, calculating that the date is 1900 instead.

Arellano said the government spent 150 million pesos (some $16 million) to make digital communications systems, satellite communications systems, automatic air control centers, radar control systems, control towers, and other computer systems Y2K ready before the July 31 test.

The test involved six airplanes from six airlines, an MD-80 belonging to Aeromexico, a Boeing 727 from Aeromexpress, a Metro III SW3 belonging to Aerolitoral, a Mexicana-owned Air Bus A320, a Boeing 737 flown by Taesa, and a J32 flown by Aerocaribe.

========================================== ,p. Ray

-- Ray (ray@totacc.com), August 03, 1999

Answers

As a formerly frequent visitor to Meheeco, let me translate the article in the Northian tradtion:

Updated 5:54 PM ET August 3, 1999MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican aviation officials said Tuesday they completed a glitch-free, large-scale test of air traffic control and communication systems and were sure the country's air space was safe for the year 2000 date change.
(Translation-"You gringos keep coming on down to Cancun for the parteees. We will get you home, he,he,he.")
"The test was done on July 31 and it was a total success," Agustin Arellano, director of Navigation Services in Mexican Air Space, told reporters at a ceremony.
(Translation: "No luggage was lost for once, but as for passengers, no commentero"....)
Computers could malfunction or work incorrectly at the beginning of 2000 because they were programmed to read only the last two digits of a year date, and will be confused by a pair of zeros, calculating that the date is 1900 instead. Arellano said the government spent 150 million pesos (some $16 million) to make digital communications systems, satellite communications systems, automatic air control centers, radar control systems, control towers, and other computer systems Y2K ready before the July 31 test.
(Translation: "If we ask your pilot about inflight refueling, don't panic until, say 1 or 2 hours later senor"...)
The test involved six airplanes from six airlines, an MD-80 belonging to Aeromexico, a Boeing 727 from Aeromexpress, a Metro III SW3 belonging to Aerolitoral, a Mexicana-owned Air Bus A320, a Boeing 737 flown by Taesa, and a J32 flown by Aerocaribe.
(Translation: "The FAA told us how to rig the tests.")

NOW for some reality. For a country that can barely check a rental car in and out, much less transport JIT raw materials to suppliers during NORMAL conditions, I will be more than stunned if Mexico and Bangladesh do not rack up the record for Y2K airline accidents. And since I need to raise money for my farm, anyone care to make book on that?????

-- John Galt (jgaltfla@hotmail.com), August 03, 1999.

You hit it on the head, John. If you want anything done in Mexico, they'll tell you "two weeks". When you come back in two weeks, the answer is "two weeks" again. Two weeks! Two weeks! Two weeks! This usually stretches into two years! Nothing but nothing gets done on time in Mexico. The government is corrupt, payoffs are the rule, and, like government officials everywhere, they lie. So now all the sudden everything aeronautical is fixed, months ahead of schedule, just like that? That's pure, unadulterated BULLSHIT. Anyone who has lived there for more than a year will say the same.

-- Prometheus (fire@for.man), August 04, 1999.

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