Why doesn't this surprise me???

2/08 - Air Traffic Control upgrade leaves question mark over Action 2000 traffic light system ------------------------------------------------------------------------

The UK`s air services are about to feel the force of Y2K - just weeks after the National Air Traffic Service was given the blue light by Action 2000.

NATS was given the blue light - which means it is 100% ready for the New Year following an assessment that did not identify any risk of material disruption - at the National Infrastructure Forum last month.

But, y2k-news.co.uk has learned that the NATS computer is being shut down on Saturday night for a major upgrade to make it Y2K compliant, which suggests it is not 100% blue just yet.

The shutdown will affect all airports in England and Wales as air traffic controllers will be forced to revert back to pen and paper, receiving information about flight arrivals and departures via radio links.

This is usually handled by a IBM 9020 computer that y2k-news.co.uk understands is about 25 years old and unable to deal with the Y2K date change at present.

The shutdown has come as a surprise to many MPs, who thought NATS was already Y2K ready following reassurances from the service itself and the blue light from Action 2000.

They were also concerned about the timing as Saturday is traditionally one of the busiest days of the year as thousands of travellers leave for their summer holidays.

Chair of the Select Committee, MP Gwyneth Dunwoody, said: "This is extraordinary.

"My committee was assured by NATS some time ago that all their computers were Millennium compliant.

"I will be writing to the Minister of Transport (Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott) to ask for an investigation" she said.

MP John McDonell, whose constituency includes Heathrow, said he too would be writing to the deputy prime minister.

"It is quite extraordinary that such a time of the year has been chosen to switch off the computer.

"I am genuinely shocked about this and I fully support calls for an inquiry.

"I cannot understand why this is happening in August - the high season - when there is maximum risk to safety and the highest chance of delays for passengers," he said.

Air traffic controllers are also believed to be concerned about the shutdown, with one saying: "it is a big mistake. There is no margin for error in what we do".

However, NATS says the shutdown is "routine procedure" and has "no effect" on air safety.

- Last week the Government announced plans to part-privatise NATS. It plans to sell of 51% of its shares in the service, which includes the bug-ridden new control centre at Swanwick in Hampshire.

The #350 million centre was due to open in 1996 but has been delayed until 2002, adding an estimated #125 million to the cost.

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), August 04, 1999

Answers

Sorry, forgot the link...

www.y2k-news.co.uk/klimaxnews/101.htm

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), August 04, 1999.

Maybe Nigel, Dick or Old Git can help me out here,

my understanding (reading between the lines) is that the UK will not be ready, the new ATC centre in Portsmouth (Southampton - somewhere around there at any rate... ), is not quite "ready" - and WON'T be...

later,

-- Andy (2000EOD@prodigy.net), August 05, 1999.