Year 2000 Computing Challenge

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) depends on hundreds of critical computer systems to control air traffic, target airlines for inspection, and provide up-to-date weather reports to pilots and air traffic controllers. Many of these systems could fail unless proper date-related calculations are done in preparation for the Year 2000 computer problem. Malfunctioning systems could inconvenience hundreds of thousands of travelers, increase airline costs, ground or delay flights, and degrade safety levels. This testimony discusses (1) FAA's progress so far; (2) challenges the agency faces in ensuring that its internal systems will work; (3) risks associated with external groups--specifically airports, airlines, and international organizations; and (4) the critical need for business continuity and contingency plans that identify how aviation operations will continue should systems fail.

GAO noted that: (1) FAA and its employees have made excellent progress in tackling the monumental year 2000 problem; (2) FAA is now reporting that all of its systems are ready for the year 2000; (3) however, FAA's work is not yet done; (4) FAA continues to face challenges in ensuring that its internal systems will work as intended through the year 2000 date change; (5) these challenges involve managing modifications to compliant systems, independent verification of systems' compliance, and systems testing; (6) FAA must also mitigate risks posed by external organizations, including airports, airlines, and foreign air traffic control systems; (7) these factors could impede FAA's ability to provide reliable aviation services, which could seriously affect the flow of air traffic across the nation and around the world; and (8) in the event that critical internal or external systems do not work as intended, FAA must have a comprehensive and tested business continuity and contingency plan ready to implement, and train its staff in how to do so.