Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10VIENNA167
2010-02-11 15:16:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Vienna
Cable title:
Austrian Reaction to US-EU 2nd Stage Air Transport
how-toVZCZCXRO1627 PP RUEHIK DE RUEHVI #0167 0421516 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 111516Z FEB 10 FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4177 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES PRIORITY RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY RHEBAAA/USDOE WASHDC PRIORITY
UNCLAS VIENNA 000167
SIPDIS, SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR ECON AU
SUBJECT: Austrian Reaction to US-EU 2nd Stage Air Transport
Negotiations Demarche
REF: State 9584
Sensitive but Unclassified - Protect Accordingly.
UNCLAS VIENNA 000167
SIPDIS, SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR ECON AU
SUBJECT: Austrian Reaction to US-EU 2nd Stage Air Transport
Negotiations Demarche
REF: State 9584
Sensitive but Unclassified - Protect Accordingly.
1. (U) Embassy representatives delivered reftel demarche in separate
meetings with MFA transportation office director Andreas Schmidinger
and MinTransport DG for Aviation Affairs Manfred Bialonczyk.
2. (U) Both MFA and MinTransport representatives expressed strong
support for continuing the US-EU Open Skies agreement by reaching a
timely second-stage agreement; both said the GoA will not pose
roadblocks. Neither feels that U.S. ownership restrictions pose a
particular challenge for Austria (though Bialonczyk noted with irony
that Austria's flag carrier, AUA/Austrian Airlines, is now part of
the Lufthansa group). Schmidinger expressed relief that civair
relations with the U.S. have been easier than those with some other
countries (notably Russia, with which Austria is currently battling
for continuation of traffic rights after the AUA merger with
Lufthansa).
3. (SBU) Noise issues present a potential public relations problem
for Austrian bureaucrats and politicians, given Austria's record of
vocal environmentalism and Euro-skepticism. While Bialonczyk opined
that cargo flight timing works well in practice at VIE -- to the
benefit of express carriers who operate feeder flights --
Schmidinger cautioned generally that the EU cannot lean forward on
noise issues for fear of provoking a media backlash in some member
states, including Austria.
EACHO
SIPDIS, SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAIR ECON AU
SUBJECT: Austrian Reaction to US-EU 2nd Stage Air Transport
Negotiations Demarche
REF: State 9584
Sensitive but Unclassified - Protect Accordingly.
1. (U) Embassy representatives delivered reftel demarche in separate
meetings with MFA transportation office director Andreas Schmidinger
and MinTransport DG for Aviation Affairs Manfred Bialonczyk.
2. (U) Both MFA and MinTransport representatives expressed strong
support for continuing the US-EU Open Skies agreement by reaching a
timely second-stage agreement; both said the GoA will not pose
roadblocks. Neither feels that U.S. ownership restrictions pose a
particular challenge for Austria (though Bialonczyk noted with irony
that Austria's flag carrier, AUA/Austrian Airlines, is now part of
the Lufthansa group). Schmidinger expressed relief that civair
relations with the U.S. have been easier than those with some other
countries (notably Russia, with which Austria is currently battling
for continuation of traffic rights after the AUA merger with
Lufthansa).
3. (SBU) Noise issues present a potential public relations problem
for Austrian bureaucrats and politicians, given Austria's record of
vocal environmentalism and Euro-skepticism. While Bialonczyk opined
that cargo flight timing works well in practice at VIE -- to the
benefit of express carriers who operate feeder flights --
Schmidinger cautioned generally that the EU cannot lean forward on
noise issues for fear of provoking a media backlash in some member
states, including Austria.
EACHO