AIRCRAFT IN EXETER NOT EN ROUTE TO SYRIA (CHAM

C O N F I D E N T I A L LONDON 001185 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/19/2019 TAGS: EAIR ETRD ETTC PGOV PREL UK SUBJECT: AIRCRAFT IN EXETER NOT EN ROUTE TO SYRIA (CHAM PEARL AIRWAY) REF: SECSTATE 49690 Classified By: KATHLEEN DOHERTY, A/ECON MIN COUNSELOR, FOR REASONS 1.4 B&D ¶1. (C) We delivered reftel talking points and the Temporary Denial Order (TDO) to the British Foreign Office's (FCO) Americas Desk and Flybe, the company carrying out repair of the Orion aircraft, on May 15, and to the UK Department for Transport (DfT) on May 19. HMG officials were vaguely aware of the issue through contact with BAE and their embassy in Washington, but had not planned to take any action. They understood the ball to be in BAE's court as to what to do next. ¶2. (C) David Knight and Lennie Kent, Flybe officials, agreed that BAE was key to resolving this issue. Flybe, according to Knight and Kent, have almost finished work on the plane, and are waiting for BAE to provide diagrams of the Orion-owned BAE plane in order to fulfill Flybe's maintenance and repair contract. As of May 15, BAE had not yet provided the diagrams, and didn't indicate to Flybe if or when they would do so. Orion had originally requested the plane be finished by May 20 or 21. Flybe claims to have a four-to-five year relationship with Orion, during which it serviced many planes for the then-Spanish company. A month ago Orion was bought by another company. Flybe's contract, according to Kent, is to service the plane only. Flybe will not deliver the plane to either Spain or Syria, although they agreed that the latter is the likely ultimate destination. The company would like to fulfill its contractual obligation, unless it is expressly prohibited by the TDO. In addition to delays incurred while awaiting BAE's diagrams, Kent told us Flybe will not turn over the keys to Orion until it is clear the USG won't legally object. We pointed Flybe to Commerce's BIS contacts for further guidance. ¶3. (U) POC for Flybe CEO David Knight, mobile phone: 44 0 7814 471 465. Please disregard the mobile number for Mr. Kent provided in reftel - he lost the phone on Disney's Space Mountain. Embassy POC will be John Coronado, FCS, 44 20 7894 0419; John.Coronado@mail.doc.gov. Visit London's Classified Website: http://www.intelink.sgov.gov/wiki/Portal:Unit ed_Kingdom LEBARON