In what theBritish publication IT Prois calling a comedy of errors, planes were grounded at a Paris airport last week after a software error on a legacy machine running Windows 3.1 brought down the air traffic control system.
Paris Orly airport closed down after an error shut down a system called DECOR, which is "vital for taking off and landing in low-visibility situations like mist and fog." The software can only be run on Windows 3.1, which was released in 1992 and retired on December 31, 2001. Due to the age of the software and operating system, only three engineers are allowed to operate what they call the "capricious beast."
As if this weren't enough, Alexandre Fiacre, the secretary general of France's air traffic controller union,told Vice NewsthatWindows 3.1 machines are used at the major Paris airport, Charles de Gaulle, which...