But "Our aircraft will fly without any malfunctions". They might fly, but they won't land.

******************************************************************* Russia 50 percent Y2K compliant for flight control systems 2.38 p.m. ET (1950 GMT) December 3, 1999 MOSCOW (AP)  Only about 50 percent of Russia's air traffic control systems are safe from Y2K computer problems, a top aviation official said Friday, the ITAR-Tass news agency reported.

Russia has lagged far behind Western countries in checking safety equipment and infrastructure for Y2K compliance. But officials in many spheres have ensured nothing will go wrong, in part because Russia is less computer-dependent than more developed countries.

Some U.S. and other international flight experts have said Russia's air traffic control systems may not be ready in time.

But Vladimir Andreyev, head of Russia's Federal Air Transport Service, said the country's flight control centers would be ready by New Year's Eve.

"Our aircraft will fly without any malfunctions,'' he said.

Russia's air traffic controllers use about 14,000 computers to guide aircraft in Russia's airspace, including flights from U.S. destinations to East Asia. Of these, 2,470 needed upgrades, he said.

Only about half of the work, which he said cost $17 million, has been completed.

He said his agency would avoid using any questionable computers if the changes were not finished on time, ITAR-Tass said.

Though Andreyev appeared unconcerned about the unfinished work, he said he would not fly in Russia on the night of Dec. 31.

-- Roland (nottelling@nowhere.com), December 03, 1999