BRITISH AIRWAYS FACING HEIGHTENED SECURITY

UNCLAS ROME 001443 SIPDIS SENSITIVE TSA HDQRS FOR OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS SIPDIS BRUSSELS FOR TSA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAIR ECON IT AVIATION FAA SUBJECT: BRITISH AIRWAYS FACING HEIGHTENED SECURITY MEASURES IN ITALY ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY. DURING THE WEEK OF MARCH 24-27, ECONOFF SPOKE WITH THE BRITISH EMBASSY TRANSPORTATION OFFICER REGARDING HEIGHTENED SECURITY MEASURES IMPOSED ON BRITISH AIRWAYS BY THE TURIN AND MALPENSA AIRPORTS. ALTHOUGH UNLIKELY, U.S. CARRIERS COULD FACE AN ADDITIONAL RESTRICTION BANNING CELL PHONES AND LAPTOPS IN THE CABIN. BRITISH AIRWAYS REMAINS THE ONLY AIR CARRIER SUBJECT TO A BAN ON CELL PHONES AND UNCOMFORTABLE WITH ITS HEIGHTENED SECURITY STATUS IN ITALY. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (SBU) A BRITISH EMBASSY TRANSPORTATION OFFICER CALLED ECONOFF ON MARCH 24 TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER ITALIAN AIRPORT POLICE HAD ORDERED AMERICAN CARRIERS TO BAN LAPTOPS AND CELL PHONES IN THE CABIN, WHICH HAS NOT HAPPENED. ACCORDING TO ENAC'S (ITALY'S CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY) NATIONAL SECURITY PROGRAM, SCHEDULE 4, PARAGRAPH 5.1.7, ELECTRONIC APPARATUS, INCLUDING CELL PHONES AND LAPTOP COMPUTERS, CAN BE BANNED FROM THE CABIN AS LONG AS THE AIR CARRIER HAS BEEN ELEVATED TO A "SENSITIVE CARRIER" SECURITY STATUS AND THE LOCAL AIRPORT SECURITY AUTHORITIES VOTE TO IMPLEMENT THIS RESTRICTION. THE BRITISH OFFICIAL STATED THAT DESPITE THE FACT THAT AMERICAN, ISRAELI AND BRITISH AIR CARRIERS ARE LABELED "SENSITIVE CARRIERS," THE AIRPORT IN TURIN IS THE ONLY AIRPORT TO IMPLEMENT THIS REGULATION, AND AGAINST ONLY ONE AIR CARRIER - BRITISH AIRWAYS. BRITISH AIRWAYS DOES NOT BAN CELL PHONES AND LAPTOPS FROM ITS LONDON TO TURIN FLIGHTS. THE OFFICIAL QUESTIONED WHETHER THIS MIGHT BE A PLOY ON THE PART OF THE LOCAL TORINESE AIRPORT AUTHORITY TO INCREASE ALITALIA'S COMPETITIVENESS. HE WANTED TO RAISE THIS POINT WITH THE AMERICAN EMBASSY IN CASE SUCH MEASURES WERE SUMMARILY APPLIED TO AMERICAN CARRIERS. ¶3. (U) ECONOFF THEN SPOKE WITH A DELTA REPRESENTATIVE FAMILIAR WITH SCHEDULE 4, PARAGRAPH 5.1.7 WHO STATED THAT TO THEIR KNOWLEDGE, THIS REGULATION HAS NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED AT AIRPORTS WITH AN AMERICAN CARRIER PRESENCE, INCLUDING FIUMICINO (ROME),MALPENSA (MILAN) AND VENICE. THE DELTA REPRESENTATIVE CLAIMED THAT PASSENGERS WOULD RIOT IF THIS BAN WERE TO BE IMPLEMENTED. ¶4. (SBU) THE BRITISH OFFICIAL ALSO MENTIONED THAT MALPENSA AIRPORT AUTHORITIES HAVE ORDERED BRITISH AIRWAYS TO MOVE ITS TICKET COUNTERS NEXT TO THE AMERICAN CARRIERS TICKET COUNTERS. WHILE THE TRANSPORTATION SECURITY AGENCY (TSA) REPRESENTATIVE IN ROME SUPPORTS THE GROUPING OF "SENSITIVE CARRIERS" BECAUSE OF INCREASED MEASURES TO SECURE THAT PART OF THE TERMINAL, THE BRITISH OFFICIAL EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT CONCENTRATING "COALITION" TICKET COUNTERS IN ONE AREA CREATES AN EASIER TARGET. ADDITIONAL PROBING REVEALED THAT THIS OFFICIAL AND THE BRITISH AIRWAYS STAFF SIMPLY DO NOT WANT TO BE SITUATED NEXT TO THE AMERICAN CARRIERS AND DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THEIR "SENSITIVE CARRIER" STATUS IS JUSTIFIED. ¶5. (U) OFFICIALS FROM ENAC EXPLAINED THAT THE AIRPORT SECURITY COMMITTEE, CHAIRED BY THE AIRPORT DIRECTOR, DETERMINES WHICH SECURITY MEASURES SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED AT THAT PARTICULAR AIRPORT. THEY CONFIRMED THAT MALPENSA HAS AN AREA DEDICATED TO "SENSITIVE CARRIERS" AND BRITISH AIRWAYS WAS ASKED TO MOVE TO THAT AREA TO BENEFIT FROM ADDITIONAL SECURITY MEASURES. THE ENAC OFFICIALS SUGGESTED THAT THE AIRPORT SECURITY COMMITTEE IN TURIN MIGHT HAVE FELT THE NEED TO IMPLEMENT STRICTER SECURITY MEASURES THAN IS THE NORM AT OTHER AIRPORTS BUT WERE UNABLE TO OFFER ANY ADDITIONAL INSIGHT. ¶6. (SBU) COMMENT. THE BRITISH OFFICIAL HAS REQUESTED USG SUPPORT IN ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM TO THE GOI. WHILE WE ARE SYMPATHETIC AND WILLING TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO OUR GOI CONTACTS, WE REMAIN NEUTRAL IN THE FACE OF AN ISSUE ISOLATED TO HMG AND LOCALIZED AIRPORTS. THE TSA REPRESENTATIVE IS IN AGREEMENT WITH, AND SUPPORTS, THE SECURITY MEASURES IN PLACE. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS SITUATION. END COMMENT. SEMBLER NNNN 2003ROME01443 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED