BAHRAIN: FAA TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS

UNCLAS MANAMA 001725 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EB/TRA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAIR BH SUBJECT: BAHRAIN: FAA TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS REF: STATE 225232 (U) On October 25, EconOff met with Mohammed Al Juman, Director of Air Navigation at Civil Aviation Affairs and passed reftel letter from John Hancock, acting Director of International Aviation, Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on pre-payment for FAA technical assistance. Al Juman noted GOB desire for increased cooperation with the FAA and raised Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) plans to develop a system to manage regional airspace. He underscored the need for well-tested systems and indicated that Europe had already expressed an interest in providing that assistance. However, he said, the GCC wants to devise a system "right for the region," and there remained a strong preference among the Gulf states for a mechanism that would incorporate what they felt were the best elements of both the U.S. and EU systems. Al Juman also raised Bahrain's interest in becoming a regional training hub for pilots and negotiations with a Boeing subsidiary -- Alteon -- for the purchase and operation of flight simulators. MONROE