NORTH AMERICAN AIRLINES JULY 17 INAUGURAL FLIGHT

UNCLAS LAGOS 000793 SIPDIS SENSITIVE 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: N/A TAGS: CMGT EAIR EINV KFRD PREL NI SUBJECT: NORTH AMERICAN AIRLINES JULY 17 INAUGURAL FLIGHT FROM LAGOS TO NEW YORK REF: A. LAGOS 790 ¶B. LAGOS 673 -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. (SBU) On June 9, the North American Airlines (NAA) Nigeria Country Manager, Henry Seymour, confirmed to Econoff the airline plans to begin its first direct flight from Lagos Murtala Muhammad International Airport (MMIA) to New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on July 17. Seymour reiterated his request for consular assistance to provide training to NAA staff on document fraud. End Summary. -------------- The Official Launch - July 17 -------------- ¶2. (SBU) NAA Country Manager, Henry Seymour, told ConGen Lagos officers the NAA chartered flight would leave Baltimore, MD on July 16th for Abuja, and then proceed to Lagos. The inaugural flight is scheduled to depart Lagos MMIA at 11:55am on Monday, July 17. ¶3. (SBU) In preparation for the inaugural, NAA hired US-based International Security Defense Systems (ISDS) consultants to train NAA's Nigerian security staff on airport security including: passenger profiling, baggage and checkpoint screening, passenger body search, x-ray and metal detector procedures, ramp security, and aircraft search. According to Seymour, the ISDS team will visit Lagos early July 2006 to begin the two-week training course. -------------- Consular Assistance -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Seymour requested consular assistance during the first few weeks of the new flight, particularly in the area of training staff on document inspections (reftels). He requested that ConGen's Anti-Fraud Unit train NAA staff on the detection of fraudulent documents including passports, viss, and US permanent residence cards. Seymour noted that NAA also needed assistance with background checks and the support of a Locally Employed Staff (LES) investigator from the Fraud Prevention Unit during the first two weeks of NAA's service. Resource constraints will prevent ConGen's long-term commitment to have staff assigned at the airport. (Note: Per reftel A, Post has transmitted an action request for pre-flight inspection assistance for the first 90 days of service from the Department of Homeland Security. End note.) -------------- Comment -------------- ¶5. (SBU) There are approximately five weeks remaining before the first NAA direct flight from Lagos to New York. The successful operation of NAA in Nigeria will mark a significant turning point for Nigerian aviation by re-establishing a low cost flight provided by a US carrier that can satisfy growing demand for reliable nonstop passenger service to the US. While welcome as a signal that the Nigerian aviation sector is becoming more open, this development will place a tax on our Consular Section as we deploy officers to the airport to assist in fraud prevention on their direct flight to the US. End Comment. BROWNE