Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
03AMMAN5025
2003-08-10 10:33:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Amman
Cable title:  

SKIES CLEARING FOR RJ?

Tags:  EAIR ETRD ASEC PREL JO 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 005025 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

USDOC 4520/ITA/MAC/ONE/PTHANOS
DEPARTMENT FOR E FOR LARSON
DEPARTMENT FOR EB FOR WAYNE
ATHENS FOR TSA FOR MONTGOMERY
FRANKFURT FOR TSA FOR KLUKOWSKI
CPA FOR WILLIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR ETRD ASEC PREL JO
SUBJECT: SKIES CLEARING FOR RJ?

REF: A. AMMAN 4249

B. AMMAN 3654

C. STATE 162415

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 005025

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

USDOC 4520/ITA/MAC/ONE/PTHANOS
DEPARTMENT FOR E FOR LARSON
DEPARTMENT FOR EB FOR WAYNE
ATHENS FOR TSA FOR MONTGOMERY
FRANKFURT FOR TSA FOR KLUKOWSKI
CPA FOR WILLIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR ETRD ASEC PREL JO
SUBJECT: SKIES CLEARING FOR RJ?

REF: A. AMMAN 4249

B. AMMAN 3654

C. STATE 162415

SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY


1. (SBU) COMMENT: Royal Jordanian Airline officials have
apparently taken on board strong messages regarding airline
security, service to Iraq, and other issues delivered by the
Ambassador June 16 (REF B). A successful visit by a
follow-up TSA inspection team and an informal discussion
between RJ and CPA aviation officials indicate a strengthened
commitment to security as well as flexibility regarding
potential service between Amman and Baghdad. These
encouraging developments may bode well for RJ's hopes to
increase its regional presence and may lead to a timely
relief of the bottleneck caused by lack of available seats
out of Baghdad (REF A). END COMMENT

--------------
MESSAGE RECEIVED: TSA CALLS THE SHOTS
--------------


2. (SBU) TSA Senior Aviation Security Inspectors Albert
Klukowski and John Nipper conducted an assessment of Queen
Alia International Airport and Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJ)
July 20-25. The visit was a follow-up to a disappointing TSA
inspection in early June during which TSA officials found RJ
to be largely "out of compliance" with security procedures
regarding transit passengers, air marshals, and the
publication and dissemination of a general security manual to
RJ staff. At the conclusion of the June visit, the
inspectors gave RJ officials mid-July deadlines to "get in
line" with TSA standards.


3. (SBU) Apart from some hiccups, the July visit went
smoothly. The airline instituted a policy notifying TSA
officials daily of changes in sky marshal personnel;
developed sophisticated software to screen transit passengers
against the "no fly" list; and produced a manual of security
procedures, all ahead of deadline. In addition, RJ created
separate departments for safety and security with dedicated
management for each. The July inspection revealed minor
problems in cargo and aircraft pre-boarding inspection, but
these were quickly rectified by RJ personnel, who themselves
demonstrated a commitment to cooperation and security that

had been missing on previous inspections. While he
recommended continued follow-up and monitoring of RJ and
airport security operations, Klukowski said the team was
extremely satisfied with the visit and that all parties
appeared to be in compliance with TSA policy and procedures.

--------------
RJ: WE ARE READY TO HELP
--------------


4. (SBU) RJ CEO Samer Majali told Coalition Provisional
Authority (CPA) Aviation Advisor Frank Willis during a
courtesy call on July 31 that RJ was "ready to help" ease the
bottleneck on air travel in and out of Baghdad (REF A).
While Majali said he hoped that RJ could eventually serve
some role in the reconstruction of an Iraqi national airline,
he realized that such a decision would be made in the long
term. For now, he said, RJ would be pleased to offer
services "wherever you want", whether as a charter or
commercially with an established schedule. He added that the
Jordanian Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) could offer
immediate technical assistance to Iraqi civair officials to
formulate aviation policy similar to Jordan's, one that is
modeled on American Federal Aviation Authority (FAA)
procedures. Majali said he was hoping to hear soon that RJ
had been approved by the CPA but understood that actual
service, once slated to begin July 15, could not resume until
the security situation at and around the airport had improved.


5. (SBU) Willis thanked Majali for his interest and patience,
and said that his visit was purely exploratory, to enable him
to get a sense of things on the ground. He said that at
present, he was unable to make any commitments on behalf of
the CPA. That said, Willis agreed with Majali that the
decision on a national carrier would be made by an Iraqi
government and not by the CPA. He said that security near
Baghdad International Airport was still an issue and that
there was not yet an agreed date when commercial service
might resume.

6. (SBU) Willis returned to the question of a future national
airline for Iraq, acknowledging that RJ's role in an Iraqi
airline could take a number of forms, and asked Majali which
of those roles RJ might be open to. Majali said the airline
would consider anything, from wet leases (the Iraqi airline
would use RJ aircraft, pilots and crew but operate under an
Iraqi brand) to a joint venture with an Iraqi firm to an
arrangement to block space on a new airline (RJ would sell
seats on the Iraqi carrier under the RJ name). Willis said
that an RJ-Iraqi joint venture would be viewed positively by
the CPA. Majali said he was even prepared to shift half of
RJ's fleet to Baghdad at an appropriate time, and would even
paint the Iraqi carrier's colors on RJ planes. He said RJ
could even evolve into a regional carrier operating out of
both Amman and Baghdad, as well as provide service to other
destinations in Iraq, such as Basrah and Mosul. He said that
although he was aware that a groundhandling contract for
Baghdad International had been awarded to a Singaporan
company, his airline could offer immediate groundhandling
assistance and training if needed. Willis said the contract
awarded to the Singaporan company had been "put on hold" for
the time being.

--------------
DECISION ON BOEING/AIRBUS STILL ON HOLD
--------------


7. (SBU) Majali said that RJ has "frozen" a decision on
renewing its fleet through purchase or lease of Boeing or
Airbus short haul jets until a putative Iraqi carrier
determines its needs. He said that originally the plan of
fleet renewal had been put on hold due to the war, but that
the airline now wanted to move ahead. He said that it did
not make sense, however, to go forward now if it had to make
other arrangements, such as the purchase or leasing of
smaller aircraft, that would be more suitable for service to
Iraq.

--------------
COMMENT
--------------


8. (SBU) Majali appears to have moved away from a direct (and
politically damaging) linkage of a prospective purchase of
Boeing aircraft to the Baghdad route (REF B). Nonetheless,
behind his, and RJ's, flexibility is a strong desire to
become a regional carrier that serves Baghdad and beyond. A
renewed commitment to security, qualified flight and support
personnel, and a Western-focused route system suggest a
logical short-term role for RJ that may lead to something
more substantial once an Iraqi government is established.
HALE