TANS AIRLINES - ONLY 11 DAYS LEFT TO FLY

UNCLAS LIMA 000017

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT FOR WHA/AND, EB/TRA, CA/OCS/ACS
DOT FOR NTSB - ROBERT MACINTOSH
BUENOS AIRES FOR TSA - JOE OCHOA
FAA MIAMI FOR JAY RODRIGUEZ

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR CASC ASEC ECON PE
SUBJECT: TANS AIRLINES - ONLY 11 DAYS LEFT TO FLY

REF: 05 LIMA 3665


1. (SBU) Summary. After several months of reassessing
Peruvian Air Force-owned TANS Airlines after the August
crash that killed 43, the Ministry of Transport and the
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC) on January 1
suspended TANS' flight permissions, not for maintenance and
safety reasons or for a near collision with a LAN Peru 767
on December 31, but rather for noise violations. A DGAC
contact informed us that, under recently enacted sound
regulations, none of the four TANS aircraft meet the new
standards. While the DGAC technically suspended permits on
all four TANS planes, the Ministry of Transport has allowed
one plane to continue flying until January 15. After
January 15, TANS will cease commercial operations. People
who purchased tickets for TANS flights after January 15 will
be able to use AeroCondor or Star Peru flights. End Summary.


2. (SBU) After several months of reassessing TANS Airline's
safety records after the fatal August 23 crash (Ref A),the
DGAC on January 1 rescinded flight permits for all four TANS
aircraft. Although the DGAC has been hinting for months
that it was going to shut down TANS due to safety concerns,
the DGAC instead used the recently passed Ministry of
Transport sound regulation as the reason to annul TANS'
authorization. (Note: Just one day before the DGAC
rescinded TANS' flight permits, one of the aircraft had a
near collision with a LAN Peru 767 in Lima. No one was
injured, but the DGAC is conducting an investigation of the
TANS pilot's actions. End Note.)


3. (SBU) According to a close DGAC contact, none of the
TANS planes are in compliance with Stage III engine
emissions and sound requirements, which are modeled after
FAA regulations. The planes will be grounded until they
meet these standards. The DGAC asserts that TANS will have
to pay up to up to $1 million to retrofit each engine, which
is unlikely given that TANS has lost over $8 million in the
past five years.


4. (SBU) Our DGAC contact also informed us that, despite
rescinding flight permits, the Ministry of Transport has
allowed TANS to continue flying one Boeing 737 until January

15. The lone plane will fly alternate routes in an effort
to cover the majority of TANS' domestic routes. Those who
have already purchased tickets for TANS flights after
January 15 will be able to redeem them for flights on either
Aero Condor or Star Peru.


5. (SBU) Comment. While we expected the DGAC to withdraw
TANS' flight permissions, we were surprised that the DGAC
used sound regulations as a justification rather than safety
and maintenance concerns. Although TANS may be grounded for
the foreseeable future, we understand that the Peruvian Air
Force is looking to lease planes that are in compliance with
the new regulations. The DGAC's actions may be an attempt
to show that the agency is serious about aviation safety
before the FAA's International Aviation Safety Assessment
(IASA) in mid-January. End Comment.

STRUBLE