More than 1,300 air carriers yet to respond to Y2K survey

October 5, 1999
Web posted at: 4:55 a.m. EDT (0855 GMT)

From CNN Assignment editor Mike Ahlers

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Federal aviation officials have given the Senate a list of 1,369 air carriers that have not yet responded to a Y2K readiness survey, amid threats by Sen. Christopher Dodd (D-Connecticut) to ground the carriers if they do not provide assurances by November 1 that they are prepared.

The list, obtained by CNN, includes 18 "domestic flag" carriers licensed to fly outside the United States, 23 commuter airlines and 1,244 charter companies.

It also includes many corporate aircraft companies and "supplemental" airlines -- airlines in which the client negotiates the terms of arrival and departure.

RESOURCES The 18 flag carriers are: -- Grand Canyon Airlines Inc. (Arizona) -- Sierra Pacific Airlines Inc. (Arizona) -- Sun Pacific International Inc. (Arizona) -- Flying Boat Inc. (Florida) -- Paradise Island Airlines Inc. (Florida) -- Planet Airways Inc.(Florida) -- HCL Aviation Inc. (Georgia) -- Nations Air Express (Georgia) -- AccessAir Inc. (Iowa) -- Sunworld International Airlines Inc. (Kentucky) -- Casino Airlines Inc. (Louisiana) -- Providence Airline Corp. (Louisiana) -- Eastwind Airlines Inc. (North Carolina) -- Kiwi International Holdings Inc. (New Jersey) -- National Airlines Inc. (Nevada) -- TEM Enterprises Inc. (Nevada) -- Puerto Rico Airways (Puerto Rico) -- Legend Airlines Inc. (Texas)     MESSAGE BOARD Year 2000 bug

No major commercial airlines are on the list, which was provided to the Senate on Monday. Federal Aviation Administration officials say all major airlines have taken the necessary steps needed to prevent problems caused by the Year 2000 computer glitch.

At a hearing last week, Dodd and others praised the readiness of the U.S. aviation system, but said the nation's 3,300 small air carriers should face the same scrutiny as large airlines.

At the hearing, officials said about 1,900 of the nation's 3,300 air carriers had not reponded to the FAA's survey, which was voluntary. On Monday, that number was lowered to 1,369. Many of the flag airlines serve resorts, and more than a hundred of the charter air carriers are based in Alaska, which is heavily reliant on charter operations.

An FAA spokesman said that because the survey was voluntary, it was unfair to taint carriers that did not respond. Carriers are required to maintain airworthiness, and failure to return the survey does not mean carriers are unprepared, he said.

A spokesman for Dodd said the senator plans to introduce a bill Tuesday requiring the air carriers to surrender their licenses to the FAA if they do not provide the Y2K information by November 1.