Y2K Bug Bites British Company

The travel industry has been rife with rumors--and denials--that millennium computer bugs will play havoc with flights on Dec. 31, 1999. Now one of the world’s largest travel companies has decided to err on the side of caution.

Stephen Towne, head of the millennium program at the London-based Airtours conglomerate, said last week that it will not have aircraft in the air at midnight Dec. 31, 1999, although it will fly on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1, 2000 at times other than midnight. The company, which runs tours in Europe, Canada and the U.S. (through its subsidiary Sunquest), operates about 30 charter planes.

Earlier this year, Lloyd’s of London, the marketplace where 25% of the world’s airline insurance is sold, denied reports that companies are refusing to cover year 2000 claims, saying they continue to write policies for “normal risks.”