Alex Velovich/MOSCOW
Russia's Federal Service of Air Transport (FSVT) will have extra staff on 31 December/1January to take over air traffic control and other procedures manually if necessary, says FSVT director Vladimir Andreyev.
Although the FSVT is predicting a smooth Y2K transition for Russian commercial aviation, only half of the 2,470 computers that needed adjustment have been upgraded. Andreyev says that possible malfunctions in the rest will be covered using "special organisational and technical measures", but primarily by backup manual procedures that require additional duty personnel to turn off the problem computer systems. Manual procedures will be needed mostly for communication systems, says Andreyev.
The FSVT has checked 14,000 air traffic computers and others providing aviation services. The backup measures will be in force between 27 December and 7 January, says Andreyev. He acknowledges that Russia was late in submitting its Y2K readiness report to the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), but now, he says, ICAO and the International Air Transport Association are satisfied with the arrangements.
Andreyev estimated Russia needed to spend 450 million roubles ($18 million) on Y2K measures. Aeroflot-Russian International Airlines alone says it has spent $12 million on buying new computers and network equipment.
Source: Flight International
