Airport, airlines ready for Y2K bug

JAKARTA (JP): Thousands of domestic and foreign visitors are expected to flock to the tourist island of Bali for the numerous millennial events scheduled for Dec. 31.

But taking a flight to Bali or anywhere else in the world on that night might seem a risky venture because of possible computer failures due to the millennium, or Y2K, bug.

There is reason for concern if you are flying during the New Year because the computers used in planes and air traffic control systems could malfunction as the last two digits of the year roll over from 99 to 00.

There are also possible risks on the ground, such as flight delays and faulty baggage systems.

But Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport is ready for the Y2K bug and any problems which might arise at the end of the year.

The president of state-owned PT Angkasa Pura I, which operates the airport, Gatot Pudjo Martono, said the airport began work toward Y2K compliance in March 1997.

"Any airport in the world has one main function; offering safety and security," he said here on Tuesday.

Ngurah Rai is just one of the country's international airports managed by Angkasa Pura I.

Gatot said the airport accommodated a lot of international passengers, as numerous flights to the airport were intercontinental.

"We have to really take care of many things which can cause problems related to the Y2K bug by the end of the year," he said.

Among other things which could malfunction are communications equipment, radars, flight information systems, PABX and computers used for administrative and financial matters, he said.

With a budget of some Rp 7 billion (around US$1 million), Angkasa Pura has upgraded various system, including the radar, he added.

"A contingency plan was tested in Bali in early November in collaboration with the Directorate General of Air Transportation," he said.

He said among those systems tested were the passenger check-in and the main navigation systems.

He said the airport also installed a satellite-based telecommunications system recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organization, ensuring telecommunications would remain functional if the services of local operators malfunctioned.

Company spokesman Aryadi Subagyo said Ngurah Rai and other airports run by Angkasa Pura I were also prepared to accommodate large crowds during the year-end holidays.

Christmas, New Year and Idul Fitri fall within the same period, and Bali, a popular destination for locals and foreign tourists, is expecting a rush of merrymakers.

Situated in paradise island, Ngurah Rai combines modern architecture with touches of local culture.

In the first nine months of the year, Ngurah Rai served 30,300 aircraft, comprising 14,374 international and 15,926 domestic flights.

There were more than three million passengers from January to September of this year. Of this figure, 2.25 million were international travelers, 881,795 were domestic passengers and 55,522 were transit passengers.

In the same period, 37,754 tons of cargo was handled at the airport, including 27,636 tons of international cargo.

The airport saw 45,385 flights in 1998, down by 21.52 percent from the 57,831 flights in 1997. Total passengers reached 4.21 million in 1998, a 19.34 percent fall from the 5.22 million passengers the previous year. Cargo totaled 65,549 tons in 1998, down by 29.21 percent from 50,729 tons in 1997.

The decreases were due to various reasons, including unfavorable developments in the global economy which led to higher aircraft operating costs and a number of airlines reducing their service.

Rumors of political unrest and instability in recent years also led foreign airlines to cut their flights to Indonesia. In addition, the number of people flying in Indonesia has dropped due to increasing airfares.

Indonesia's airline industry is also busily preparing for the millennium bug.

National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia, in cooperation with PT Angkasa Pura I and II, conducted a simulation using GA 408 for the Jakarta-Denpasar route and GA 411 for the Denpasar-Jakarta route on Nov. 4. The simulation was to check the readiness of the airline's systems, including its air traffic system and airport operation system, to face the Y2K bug.

For the coming holiday season, especially on New Year's Eve, Garuda Indonesia's Bali routes are fully booked.

"We are already fully booked from Jakarta to Denpasar from Dec. 15 until Jan. 11, 2000, and from Denpasar to Jakarta from Dec. 27, l999, to Jan. 10, 2000," said Ardini, an employee at Garuda Indonesia's Bali office.

For New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, Garuda has 10 scheduled flights; eight for the Denpasar-Jakarta route and the other two flights plying the Denpasar-Nagoya route and the Denpasar-Tokyo route.

Australian-based Qantas Airways has already made efforts to update its computers, communications and other electronic equipment to anticipate any potential problems.

"We have been very serious in preparing our staff to face the possible threats from the millennium bug," said Made Tantrawijaya, office manager of the airline's office in Bali.

He said in the company's headquarters in Australia set up a special department to deal with Y2K problems during New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

"Since last month, our office has prepared backup manual office equipment just in case the existing electronic and computerized systems fail to operate properly on the D-days," said Tantrawijaya.

Despite concerns over the millennium bug, reservations for Quantas' Bali's routes are have increased. The company plans to increase its flights from l6 to 19 flights per week, especially during the peak holiday season.

He said Qantas Airways did not have scheduled flights to Bali on Dec. 31, but on Jan. 1, 2000, it would resume its daily flights along the Denpasar-Singapore, Denpasar-Perth and Denpasar-Sydney routes.

"We have to admit that compared to the same period last year, the number of reservations for our Bali routes has dropped quite significantly," he said.

He added, however, that the decline was not linked to the millennium bug but to the recent rocky relations between Indonesia and Australia and the October riots in Bali.

Thai Airways is optimistic it is prepared for any possible computer failures caused by the Y2K bug.

"Our staff has been trained to operate manual equipment, especially in reservation and ticketing," said Suyitno, a supervisor at the Thai Airways office in Bali.

He said all computers and other electronic equipment had been tested and certified Y2K compliant.

Now that you have the information on air travel at the turn of the millennium, it is up to you whether to take to the skies on New Year's Eve or shun air travel until, say, the middle or end of January 2000. (I. Christianto/I Wayan Juniarta)