Millennium bug, Africa's aviation industry to face boycott unless ...

Accra (Greater Accra), 14th May ?99 -

Most airports in Africa may face a possible embargo on their operations if adequate data on their compliance to the millennium bug is not provided by the end of June 1999.

Mr Gabriel Wolde, International Air Transport Association (IATA) Co-ordinator of Africa's Y2K project, said in Accra on Thursday that little information has so far been gathered on the operations of most airports on the continent.

"Apart from Cairo airport which has been visited and rated among category one, the rest of Africa is categorised into two and three.

"For category two and three we don't have much information to determine their readiness for year 2000," Mr Wolde told participants at the on-going Africa Region Y2K Conference.

The Conference which opened on Wednesday has brought together high-level officials from 45 African countries and selected world bodies.

Under the theme "Getting Africa ready for the year 2000" the conference is aimed at raising public awareness of the Y2K problem in Africa and produce an action plan for the region.

The Y2K problem is an anticipated breakdown of computer systems throughout the world at the turn of year 2000.

"This is a very sensitive issue and we need the facts and more information on aviation operations to make decisions," Mr Wolde said.

He said as part of a co-ordinated programme of the 260-member IATA, questionnaires have been issued out to airports of member countries, but the response from Africa is "very slow."

"What it means is that most airlines cannot fly to such airports in year 2000," he said.

Mr Wolde said the interdependence of airlines, airports, air traffic services and suppliers of aviation inputs makes it imperative for the questionnaires to be returned by June ending.

"The more information we provide the more confidence we create for the airlines to make decisions."

Already, he said, some large commercial airlines have decided not to fly on January one, 2000, but some have rescinded that decision because of adequate information IATA has gathered on the major international airports in the world.

"We definitely need information on the African airports and we require everyone to understand the importance of the information we are gathering."

Mr Wolde said this requires more efforts in respect of collaboration with the airlines to reduce the millennium tension.