TURKMENISTAN: OVERFLIGHT CAP AND THE WAY FORWARD

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 000469

SIPDIS

STATE FOR SCA/CEN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/10/2019
TAGS: PREL EAIR MARR TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: OVERFLIGHT CAP AND THE WAY FORWARD

REF: A. ASHGABAT 0178

B. ASHGABAT 0350

C. ASHGABAT 0365

D. ASHGABAT 0458

Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Sylvia Reed Curran for reasons 1
.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) SUMMARY: We have nearly reached the overflight cap of
1600 the Turkmenistan government imposed as a continuation of
annual renewal of blanket overflight. While DAO will process
requests for special flights (MEDEVAC, etc.),all other
flights have stopped in order not to exceed the limit. While
the Turkmen have refused overflight to contract flights, they
have not denied overflight permission to those aircraft
covered by the blanket agreement. However, Turkmenistan
State Civil Aviation officials have told us that unless
outstanding overflight fees are paid by April 27, they will
then start denying permission to all USG aircraft. We
suggest that Assistant Secretary Boucher raise the
overflight/fee issues with President Berdimuhamedov and come
armed with concrete proposals. State Civil Aviation
officials have already expressed an interest in receiving
fuel trucks and ATC upgrades, but gifts of other equipment
may also be acceptable. END SUMMARY.

OVERFLIGHT CAP


2. (C) We have nearly reached the overflight cap of 1600 the
Turkmenistan government imposed as a continuation of annual
renewal of blanket overflight. Although accounting varies,
it appears that there have been approximately 1542
overflights since December 1, 2008, when overflight was last
renewed. Because we were rapidly reaching the limit, Embassy
DAO asked OSD on April 6 to stop overflights of Turkmenistan.
DAO will process requests for special (e.g., Embassy support,
MEDEVAC, etc.) flights, but for no others. Exceeding the
limit (which we did in 2008) would make it very difficult for
USG officials to negotiate raising the cap.


3. (C) To date, Turkmenistan State Civil Aviation (THY)
officials have refused overflight to 11 contract flights
because of non-payment of overflight charges dating from 2007
and 2008. THY recently sent a bill for charges from February
of this year. They will continue to deny permission to all
flights not/not covered by our blanket overflight agreement
until the matter is settled. Informally (i.e., not by
official diplomatic note),THY officials told DAO that
starting April 27, they will deny overflight permission to
aircraft covered by the blanket overflight, if the overflight
bill is not paid. We have yet to receive a diplomatic note
informing us of this development. It is likely that is
because Turkmen officials know that Assistant Secretary
Boucher will soon arrive to discuss the issue.

FEE PAYMENT


4. (C) THY claims that the U.S. military owes $31,314.50 for
overflight charges from 2007, 2008, and 2009. THY officials
have threatened to bill us for flights going as far back as

2001. We believe this problem surfaced because of the lack
of revenue to THY caused by the decision not to land U.S.
aircraft at Ashgabat airport until the fuel pit is repaired.
The issue of overflight charges for planes not landing in
Turkmenistan had not been raised previously (NOTE: We have
had blanket overflight since 2003. END NOTE.). We estimate
that, during the eight months of inactivity, Turkmenistan
State Civil Aviation could have received $360,000 - $600,000
in landing fees alone from USG planes refueling at the
airport.

GAS AND GO


5. (C) A fuel pit work-around started at the end of March
which allowed seven aircraft to be refueled prior to

ASHGABAT 00000469 002 OF 002


overflights being suspended. The seven aircraft spent over
$100,000 in ground services and fuel. The "work-around"
entails having a service member observe refueling from
Turkmen fuel trucks. On April 10, Embassy received a
diplomatic note granting permission to import two R-11 fuel
trucks.


6. (C) If the originally proposed timeline for fuel pit
repair holds, the refurbished fuel pit will be operational by
the end of June. According to that timeline, the first
repaired Turkmen fuel truck would return to Ashgabat by the
first week of June. However, it has yet to leave
Turkmenistan. The Turkmen fuel trucks were to go separately
to England and have an eight-week turn-around.

THE WAY FORWARD


7. (C) Without a resolution of the fee payment issue, it
would be impossible to get the Turkmen to agree to raising
the cap. The U.S. Government does not pay overflight fees
for state aircraft, but we may be able to resolve the
overflight fee issue by "in-kind" gifts. We suggest that A/S
Boucher raise the issue with President Berdimuhamedov and
come armed with concrete proposals. THY has expressed
interest in both fuel trucks and ATC upgrades (possibly to
Ashgabat and Turkmenabat airports). Fire trucks and other
equipment may also be acceptable to the Turkmen. The Turkmen
may not be willing to discuss increasing overflight beyond
3500 flights/year. Depending on what the U.S. side agrees is
the optimal number, we may need to be prepared to discuss
larger projects (runway repair).
MILES