11/19/2009 10:30:00 PM Prescott air travelers avoid computer glitch
Courier staff and wire reports
A Federal Aviation Administration computer glitch on Thursday apparently did not affect flights to and from the Prescott Municipal Airport, Airport Manager Ben Vardiman said.
Vardiman said he learned about the glitch about 9 a.m., an hour after he arrived at the airport. He spoke to representatives from Horizon Air and Great Lakes airlines, which offer commercial flights from the airport.
Spokeswomen for the airlines were unavailable for comment Thursday. Great Lakes offers flights to and from Ontario, Calif., and Denver, and Horizon provides service to Los Angeles.
"I think it had more of an impact on the East Coast," Vardiman said. "I don't think it shakes the confidence. I think it does show the need for modernization within the FAA."
Vardiman responded to news accounts about air travelers nationwide scrambling to revise their plans Thursday after an FAA computer glitch caused widespread cancellations and delays for the second time in 15 months.
FAA officials said the problem, which lasted about five hours, was fixed around 10 a.m. Eastern Standard Time, but they were unclear about how long the problem would affect flights.
They told The Associated Press the problem began at the computer center in Salt Lake City. Airplane dispatchers responded by sending plans to controllers, who entered them by hand.
