FED: CASA calls on aviation industry to lift Y2K preparation

AAP General News (Australia)
04-22-1999
FED: CASA calls on aviation industry to lift Y2K preparation

CANBERRA, April 22 AAP - The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) today called on the
Australian aviation industry to lift its level of planning for the Y2K or millennium bug.

The bug refers to possible problems from computers failing to recognise 2000 when their
in-built clocks tick over to January 1, which may affect aircraft computer systems.

Computers need checking and possibly fixing to avoid potential disastrous consequences.

CASA aviation safety promotion assistant director Mike Smith said thorough contingency
planning by all sections of the industry will ensure flying was safe at the turn of the
century.

He said 43 per cent of aviation organisations had drawn up Y2K fail-safe plans.

Mr Smith told a national Y2K aviation conference in Sydney today that aviation was leading
the way in Australia in contingency planning.

"But this doesn't mean we can be complacent. Aviation needs a 100 per cent Y2K planning
scorecard," he said.

"CASA is very confident this goal can be achieved because back-up systems and contingency
planning are already the bywords of everyday aviation operations.

"To help the aviation industry reach Y2K compliance and contingency planning goals CASA is
running a $400,000 awareness and education campaign.

"The campaign targets Australia's 1,200 flying, maintenance and aerodrome licence holders."

Mr Smith said the industry also needed to raise its awareness of the importance of Y2K
readiness by suppliers and business partners.

"CASA is confident the large aviation operators, including the major airlines, will be Y2K
compliant and will have fail-safe plans to deal with any supplier or partner failures," he
said.

"But we know that about 20 per cent of the smaller aviation organisations have yet to fully
address Y2K issues and they must start working on compliance and contingency right now."

Boeing said yesterday it had cleared its aircraft models under development, in production
or in use as Y2K ready and completed a testing progam with a one-hour flight of a Boeing 767
last week.

AAP fh/pa

KEYWORD: Y2K CASA

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