International flights could be disrupted by a variety of large and small computer failures. Some radio beacons used to guide planes might stop working, forcing high-altitude air routes to change slightly . Or, some countries' air traffic control systems might crash, making it difficult for commercial flights to enter their airspace. But most developed nations are working to anticipate and fix potential problems, and other countries should have no problems because their systems are so simple. To some degree, many officials say, the aviation industry is better prepared to deal with Y2K than most other economic sectors because it regularly handles weather problems and equipment difficulties.
Pilots already know how to deal with a failed radio beacon, for example.
But threats to safety are far less likely. White is counting down the seconds until 2000, following the movement of a digital clock at the top of a long-range radar display terminal. As far as the computer running the system knows, the date is Jan. 1, 2000. The switch to 2000 is seamless. Radar blips, previously recorded and fed into the system as if they were real, continue their steady movement across the screen.