http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/991209/2l.html

-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), December 09, 1999

Answers

[Fair Use: For Educational/Research Purposes Only]

Thursday December 9, 2:09 pm Eastern Time

UK bans two foreign airlines for Y2K bug failures

LONDON, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Britain on Thursday announced it would ban two foreign airlines from flying over its airspace at the year end, unless they introduced urgent measures to address safety risks connected to the millennium bug.

Britain's Transport Minsiter Keith Hill told parliament his department had issued a warning to Gulf Air [GULF.CN] and Zambia's Southern Aviation -- the first to face a possible threatened ban.

"Two airlines have yet to provide confirmation that their flights will be free from any Y2K safety-related risk.

``These are Gulf Air and Southern Aviation. These airlines have therefore been advised that unless this information is recieved, their permits to operate to the UK over the millennium period will be suspended,'' he said.

The airlines have until December 16 to reassure Britain's air traffic control authorities, a spokesman for the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions said.

Otherwise the airlines will be banned from entering British air space for 24 hours starting from 1800 GMT on December 31, after which the ban will be reviewed.

Britain has launched a nationwide campaign to ensure that all parts of the country and industry are prepared for the Y2K bug whereby a computer fails to recognise the date 2000.

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-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), December 09, 1999.

Airlines, not airports? I don't GI, it's not like the planes would fall outta the sky or something.

-- Hokie (nn@va.com), December 09, 1999.

Hokie, your kidding right? What about Egyptair?

-- youie (youkidder@aol.com), December 09, 1999.