Flying down to Argentina? Read this first.

Aeropuerto Internacional Ezeiza, Buenos Aires

back in march, i posted on argentina's broken air traffic control system and the problems they were having as a result of faulty radar systems at both buenos aires airports... as a regular flier in and out of one of them, ezeiza, the country's biggest international airport, and as a former airline employee, i take more than a casual interest in aviation issues, particularly when they concern my safety...

this was from that march post...

Pilots at Argentina's largest domestic airline, Austral, ended a short strike late on Thursday over a faulty radar system after the government guaranteed the safety of air traffic control.

The unionized pilots had said the radar system was not showing the exact coordinates of planes landing at or leaving the country's two biggest airports, both in the Buenos Aires area -- a claim disputed by [Defense Minister Nilda Garre].

ok, so i flew out of ezeiza back to the u.s. one month and four days ago... today, i read this...

Two months after a bolt of lightning wrecked the radar at Argentina's main international airport, pilots and air-traffic controllers say the government response has been too slow and passenger safety is at risk.

One pilots' association has reported several near-misses, although another group of pilots and government officials accuse it of alarmism.

"The (defense) ministry... has tried to cover up all the problems that exist," said Jorge Perez Tamayo, president of Argentina's Association of Airline Pilots (APLA).

Earlier this week, an international body representing air-traffic controllers also criticized the government for its slow response since the March 1 lightning strike.

i love that line about "alarmism..." the following quote is even better...

"It causes a feeling of insecurity and risk, both for Argentine passengers and foreigners, who aren't used to these things like we are," said Ana Giese, a Buenos Aires student.

oh, yeah, indeed... the typical response when anybody, argentino or foreigner, gets frustrated with the lackadaisical way things are dealt with in argentina: "hey...! remember...! you're in ARGENTINA...!"

i actually remember the storm that caused the problem... it was fierce and i knew it had caused air traffic control problems, but i was unaware it had completely knocked out the ezeiza air traffic control radar... im also astounded that, two months later, it's still a problem... and i fly back the end of july... < sigh >

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