Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05LAGOS1784
2005-11-25 11:34:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Lagos
Cable title:  

AVIATION MINISTER PUSHING FOR U.S. DIRECT ROUTE

Tags:  EAIR EINV PREL NI 
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This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

251134Z Nov 05
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 001784 

SIPDIS

STATE PASS FAA FOR ACONLEY,
TRANSPORTATION FOR FAA; DAKAR PLEASE PASS TO FAA REP ED
JONES; ROME PLEASE PASS TO TSA REP JOHN HALINSKI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2015
TAGS: EAIR EINV PREL NI
SUBJECT: AVIATION MINISTER PUSHING FOR U.S. DIRECT ROUTE

REF: LAGOS 1722

Classified By: Consul General Brian L. Browne
for reasons 1.4 (D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 LAGOS 001784

SIPDIS

STATE PASS FAA FOR ACONLEY,
TRANSPORTATION FOR FAA; DAKAR PLEASE PASS TO FAA REP ED
JONES; ROME PLEASE PASS TO TSA REP JOHN HALINSKI

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/20/2015
TAGS: EAIR EINV PREL NI
SUBJECT: AVIATION MINISTER PUSHING FOR U.S. DIRECT ROUTE

REF: LAGOS 1722

Classified By: Consul General Brian L. Browne
for reasons 1.4 (D).


1. (SBU) Summary. The Consul General met Aviation Minister
Borishade on November 21 for a readout on the aviation
industry and to discuss the Minister's tentative plans to
visit the Department of Transportation December 5-9. His
visit would focus on the same areas he planned to raise prior
to the Bellview plane crash (reftel). He stressed that his
Ministry was working on rebuilding the Lagos airport runways
to meet international standards, and emphasized he wanted
U.S.-Nigeria direct air services. However, Borishade
stressed that he had no special interests in Virgin Nigeria's
(VN) possible application with the Department of
Transportation to establish a direct route. End Summary.


2. (C) On November 21, Aviation Minister Babalola Borishade
and Director General Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority
(NCAA),Fidelis Onyeyiri, met Consul General Browne to
discuss a possible December 5-9 trip to Washington to meet
with officials from the Department of Transportation, Federal
Aviation Authority, and other relevant agencies. Not being
very charitable in assessing the performance of his
predecessor, Borishade stated that many fundamental reforms
and clearly-needed infrastructure improvements had
languished. Consequently, he had to deal with the fallout
from the poorly maintained runways at the Lagos airport. The
Minister who had to leave his perch in Abuja to personally
oversee runway repair on a daily basis was able to sigh in
relief at a job almost finished. He stated that the right
runway, which had been useable for months, would be ready for
use in the next two weeks. Once that was operative,
attention would shift to the left runway which would have to
be lengthened and resurfaced to allow it to handle larger
aircraft. He predicted the improvements to that strip would
take until March/April 2006 to complete. (Note: Maintenance
work occurred on the runway at Lagos Murtala Muhammed
International Airport (MMIA) from 1am-7am Saturday, November

19 and Sunday, November 20 to repair cracks and potholes).


3. (SBU) Borishade expressed interest in resumption of
U.S.-Nigeria direct air services with Continental Airlines or
another carrier. After stating that Continental's rough
episode here had been the handiwork of his predecessor and
others who were no longer in the picture, he indicated he
would like to meet Continental Airlines executives to
persuade them to return to the Nigerian market. He said he
could assure them that President Obasanjo has taken a
personal interest in making sure their application would be
handled fairly and transparently. If Continental demurred,
he said he would like to open discussions with another U.S.
carrier such as American Airlines or Northwest Airlines, both
of which had expressed some interest years ago.


4. (C) He indicated no interest in working with VN on a
direct route, and expressed pleasure that Virgin Nigeria CEO,
Simon Harford, had been replaced. In fact, Borishade opined
that Nigeria perhaps had not gotten the benefits expected of
its relationships with Virgin Atlantic (VA) or VN. He
indicated that one of the reasons VN has temporized in
submitting its application to the DOT for the direct route is
that both VN and VA benefit from the current need for
Nigerian travelers to pass through Europe, since London is
the transit point of choice for most Nigerians.


5. (SBU) Seconding a recent public statement by President
Obasanjo, the Minister stated that there was a high degree of
incompetence and corruption in the aviation parastatals. The
President has given him the green light to look outside the
country in order to hire qualified expatriates to help with
airport management and security, as well as runway
maintenance and safety. He hoped to raise this issue in
meetings in Washington to solicit ideas and possible
assistance from DOT.


6. (C) Comment: Given the October 22 Bellview plane crash and
the embarrassing disruptions caused by the runway problems,
the Minister appears eager to take steps that will improve
the functioning and public perception of the aviation
industry and of his Ministry. Clearly, resumption of
U.S.-Nigeria direct air services would serve this purpose.
Borishade appeared sincere in his desire to break bread with
Continental Airlines. But coaxing Continental to return is
probably a hard sell. Nevertheless, his hopes to meet in DC
and discuss resumption of direct air services, USG assistance
in strengthening runways and building aircraft maintenance
facilities, improving the comprehensive Aviation Bill,
beefing up safety requirements to meet Category 1 status, and
updating DC on progress on the Bellview plane crash
investigation are laudable. Unlike his predecessor, he seems
to want a good relationship with us and we should see if we
can forge one with him. End Comment.
BROWNE