UK Government warns travellers of Millenium risks in Russia and the Ukraine

Published: 9/15/1999

The UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has published a list of countries considered to be risky due to potential disruptions from the Millenium bug. The Y2K survey, which initially covers 50 nations and according to the FCO will add a further 75 shortly, identifies Russia and the Ukraine as being particularly adversely affected. In fact in the case of Ukraine suggests that travel to the country should be avoided until the situation becomes clearer. For Russia, the FCO's primary concern appears to be nuclear power stations and the country's airports. In the case of the airports the report states that of Russia's 600 airports, two thirds may have problems. According to the FCO: “The Federal Aviation Service has tested 9,000 systems. According to the deputy director, about 5 per cent have problems. 30 per cent of aviation enterprises have contingency plans. The deputy director said at the MFA conferences that of the 600 airports in Russia, about 400 are sure to have some Y2K difficulties. 7000 planes are due to be checked by the end of September, although there is no state support for individual companies. If the airlines fail to check their planes, flight licences will be withdrawn. The ticket system has already been declared bug free.” The FSVT in its previous guise as the FAS declared at the beginning of June 1999 that of Russia's 128 air traffic control systems under the control of the Air Traffic Control Organisation (ATO) 126 were ready for operation in 2000 and the most computer dependent control centres in Moscow and Rostov-on-Don were in the process of being renovated. US consultants the Gartner Group however, estimates that Russia could have disruption in its transportation systems for as long as three months in 2000 and that Russia is one of the worst prepared nations for the problems created by Y2K.

Article ID: 864