AVIATION SAFETY AND SECURITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DAKAR 000957 SIPDIS SIPDIS SENSITIVE STATE FOR EB/TRA/OTP, AF/EPS AND AF/W STATE PLS PASS DOT FOR CONNIE HUNTER BRUSSELS FOR FAA MONTREAL FOR U.S. MISSION TO ICAO E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAIR EAID SG SUBJECT: AVIATION SAFETY AND SECURITY DAKAR 00000957 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST: South African Airlines begins daily flights from Johannesburg to Washington Dulles via Dakar next month. Delta Air Lines is scheduled to begin service from Atlanta through Dakar to Johannesburg in December. Recent FAA and TSA safety and security assessments underscore that Senegal is making good progress toward FAA Category 1 status, one of our Mission Performance Plan (MPP) goals. An FAA team found that Senegal's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has made excellent progress since 2003 but does not possess the technical wherewithal to do it alone. Finding and funding technical assistance both pose challenges. As for security, the perimeter fence at Dakar's international airport must be repaired in spite of a desire to focus on the new airport. The GOS must also follow through and consent to having a perimeter vulnerability assessment conducted by TSA at no cost to the GOS to determine the airport's vulnerability to shoulder-fired weapons (MANPADS). Embassy urges the Department to consult with DOT to determine if the FAA should be the long-term technical services provider while examining possible funding sources. Please see paragraph 9 for additional details of action request. END SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST. AVIATION SAFETY -------------- ¶2. (U) The Government of Senegal (GOS) has a strong desire to achieve Category 1 status for its aviation safety oversight program. FAA Category 1 status would mean that Senegal is in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO's) international standards and practices, and has effective safety oversight of its aviation industry. Senegal's national air carrier, Air Senegal International, or any air carrier so designated by the Government of Senegal will, under the Open Skies Agreement, be able to have direct flights to the United States. ¶3. (U) To this end, the Government of Senegal (GOS),on a reimbursable basis, has signed a technical assistance agreement with the FAA. The GOS funded a visit by a FAA Flight Standards Safety team in March 2006 to conduct a Technical Review of the Civil Aviation Authority's (CAA) safety oversight program. The FAA team found while Senegal's CAA had made excellent progress toward compliance with international standards, there is still much work to be done. The team gave the Government high marks for the political will as evidenced by progress made since the FAA's earlier visit in 2003. However, the CAA must do more to implement the safety oversight program, in such areas as training, developing technical guidance for CAA inspectors and in issuing guidance for the aviation industry. Improvement is also needed in the quality of inspections, timely reporting of deficiencies, and in taking appropriate enforcement action. ¶4. (SBU) Next Steps: There is recognition by all concerned that the CAA does not possess the technical wherewithal to do it alone in trying to reach FAA Category ¶1. Continuous technical assistance is needed and with this need funding becomes a priority. Who will provide the technical assistance? The preferred organization would be the FAA. However, Embassy recognizes that the FAA has a shortage of technical personnel within its international program. Use of aviation consulting firms is another approach, but historically these firms do not deliver the best product. In the recent past Senegal's CAA used a French consulting firm which exhausted all of the funds donated by the World Bank, and delivered a product Senegal could not use. ¶5. (SBU) Possible Sources for Funding: Boeing's Representative in Dakar, Jan Labeeuw, has shown a keen interest in Senegal reaching Category 1 because Air Senegal International is a Boeing customer, and if Air Senegal International has plans to fly to the U.S., the air carrier will need to purchase additional long-range aircraft. Boeing is currently assisting the Angola to attain FAA Category 1, following the purchase of several Boeing aircraft by TAAG, the Angolan air carrier. The World Bank has previously funded Senegal's efforts towards reaching compliance with international aviation safety DAKAR 00000957 002.2 OF 002 standards. Now, that there seems to be renewed political will by the GOS, the World Bank just may once again have an interest. AVIATION SECURITY -------------- ¶6. (U) The Department of Homeland Security Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) representative and two inspectors visited Dakar in March 2006 to conduct an evaluation of Senegal's aviation security system. The most significant finding was that the airport's security fence is in a serious state of disrepair. Airport officials stated that because the GOS is building a new airport, there is resistance to spending funds in maintaining Leopold Sedar Senghor (LSS) International Airport. Meanwhile, international flights continue to operate from LSS, therefore the Airport must be maintained according to international standards. ¶7. (SBU) The GOS must follow through and consent to having a perimeter vulnerability assessment conducted by TSA at no cost to the GOS to determine the Airport's SIPDIS vulnerability to shoulder-fired weapons commonly referred to as MANPADS. NEW DELTA AND SOUTH AFRICAN SERVICES -------------- ¶8. (U) South African Airlines begins daily flights from Johannesburg to Washington Dulles via Dakar next month. Delta Air Lines is scheduled to begin service from Atlanta through Dakar to Johannesburg in December 2006. The state of security takes on added significance with the introduction of operations by a U.S. air carrier. ACTION REQUEST -------------- ¶9. (U) Embassy urges the Department to consult with DOT to determine if the FAA should be the long-term technical services provider. We further urge the Department to explore the use of Safe Skies for Africa or World Bank funding to support this needed technical assistance. JACOBS