Euro Carriers Prepare To Fly Into Uncertain Future

<B> Euro Carriers Prepare To Fly Into Uncertain Future</B>

By Amon Cohen

New Year's Day 2000 and the days that follow it should be treated just like any other week--or so, at least, say Europe's airlines and aviation organizations. And while cynics may suggest that they are talking down the threat of the Millennium Bug for purely business reasons, there seems genuine confidence that any problems that arise will be isolated and of limited duration.

"There will be a tremendous loss of business for us if we don't fly," said International Air Transport Association spokesman William Gaillard. "If I had to take a bet on whether there will be flights cancelled on that day, I would say yes. But I will probably be flying on the second or third of January. People should consider them like any other day."

Agreed Jurgen Blume, manager of the Year 2000 project for European air traffic control body Eurocontrol, "If I were a travel manager, I would proceed as usual and rely on the measures taken by IATA and the International Civil Aviation Organization, as well as all the service carriers."

Blume believes the situation has been hyped out of all proportion by IT consultants looking to profit from the panic. But still, there is a certain qualification in his confidence. He is aware that few people will be traveling for business on Jan. 1--and in fact is more concerned about the potential for disruption on two other dates that might upset the computers, namely Sept. 9, 1999 (9/9/99--a number computers might well confuse with the series of nines many use to indicate the end of a program) and the leap day (Feb. 29) in 2000.