June 30, 1999
Web posted at: 1:11 p.m. EDT (1711 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Federal Aviation Administration says it will meet Wednesday's deadline for the nation's air traffic control systems -- responsible for 100,000 flights a day nationwide -- to be fully Y2K ready.

"We are on target right now to meet our June deadline, the end of this month, and we will be fully compliant," said FAA Deputy Director Mary Powers-King.

The Y2K problem is caused by the inability of computers to distinguish between the year 2000 and the year 1900, since years are coded by the last two digits.

The FAA has been testing what it calls mission-critical air traffic control computer systems for Y2K compliance and receives final Y2K status reports Wednesday.

FAA officials told CNN the test results will be further analyzed by the agency's Inspector General, the General Accounting Office and an independent contractor to validate the data. The FAA expects to have complete results by mid-July.

As recently as last week, the FAA said 99 percent of its computer systems were Y2K compliant.

Agency officials admit they expect problems during the New Year's holiday travel period such as flight delays and problems with automated airport systems such as computerized baggage systems, trams and automated parking lots.

FAA Administrator Jane Garvey will be flying coast-to-coast, on American Airlines flights, throughout New Year's Eve night.

According to travel experts, the real question remaining is whether international air traffic control systems and airports will be Y2K compliant.

Thursday is the deadline for international airports and air traffic control systems to report their Y2K status to the International Civil Aviation Organization.

In addition, the International Air Transport Association, a trade group representing international carriers, has been working with airports around the world to address global Y2K aviation issues.

IATA spokesman Kevin Dobby said Boeing and Airbus, the biggest aircraft manufacturers, are Y2K compliant, and central airline reservation systems are taking Y2K bookings. The concern, he said, is international airports and air traffic control systems, where safety and flight delays are the biggest issues.

"The airline industry, working with the airports and the air traffic control providers, are out there to take safety off the agenda and minimize the whole potential for inconvenience to the traveling public," said Dobby.

Y2K computer expert Stacey Franklin Jones told CNN, "Travel to and from other countries is a real concern. Y2K readiness in countries in Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa is questionable. The level of Y2K awareness is generally low in these areas and it's very difficult to assess at this time what, if any, plans both for repairs and contingencies are being worked."

ICAO will analyze the airport and air traffic control data it receives Thursday, planning to release it publicly in September.

Later this fall, the U.S. State Department plans to release a list of countries it recommends U.S. citizens avoid flying to over New Year's. The department could also issue travel advisories for particular countries based on Y2K readiness.

FAA officials said the agency cannot restrict U.S. airlines from flying into international airspace. The decision to fly or not to fly into a particular area is made by the individual carrier.

Most U.S. based and international airlines plan to fly on New Year's Eve. One notable exception is Virgin Atlantic Airways. The carrier says it isn't flying in order to give employees the millennium holiday off, not because of Y2K concerns.