Fed: Qantas team to monitor year 2000 rollover

AAP General News (Australia)
12-22-1999
Fed: Qantas team to monitor year 2000 rollover

SYDNEY, Dec 22 AAP - Qantas will have 13 flights in the air as midnight strikes in
Australia on New Year's Eve (AEDT), the airline announced today.

Qantas chief executive James strong said Qantas planned to keep flying as usual during
the rollover to 2000, but would have 70 key staff monitoring the date change to ensure
passenger safety.

The airline had spent $105.5 million on its two-year Y2K program and was well prepared
for the controversial date change, he said.

Qantas will operate 13 per cent less flights between December 29 and January 2, but
this was mainly due to a lower than normal demand for flights, as well as contingency
reasons, Mr Strong said.

There will be no Qantas domestic flights in the air as the clock strikes midnight on
January 1, with the first flight of the new year expected to leave Perth for Sydney at
1.30am (WDT).

Mr Strong said Qantas would have 13 international flights operating outside Australia
during midnight AEDT, including a Boeing 747 which will be flying over the trans-Antarctic
mountains in Antarctica as the clock strikes 12.

At midnight UTC, the international standard time for aviation operators (previously
Greenwich Mean Time - 1100 AEDT January 1) Qantas would have 46 aircraft in the air, Mr
Strong said.

One flight includes a Qantas Boeing 747 which leaves Sydney for Honolulu at 6.30am
(AEDT) on January 1 arriving in Hawaii at 6.55pm on Friday December 31, giving its passengers
the opportunity to celebrate New Year's Eve twice.

AAP km/cjh

KEYWORD: Y2K QANTAS

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