VZCZCXRO9132
PP RUEHPA
DE RUEHDK #0957/01 1101324
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 201324Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAKAR
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4902
INFO RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 0711
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 1696
RUEHJO/AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG 0074
RUEHMT/AMCONSUL MONTREAL 0061
RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DAKAR 000957 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
SENSITIVE 
 
STATE FOR EB/TRA/OTP, AF/EPS AND AF/W 
STATE PLS PASS DOT FOR CONNIE HUNTER 
BRUSSELS FOR FAA 
MONTREAL FOR U.S. MISSION TO ICAO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAIR EAID SG
SUBJECT: AVIATION SAFETY AND SECURITY 
 
 
DAKAR 00000957  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) SUMMARY AND ACTION REQUEST: South African 
Airlines begins daily flights from Johannesburg to 
Washington Dulles via Dakar next month.  Delta Air Lines 
is scheduled to begin service from Atlanta through Dakar 
to Johannesburg in December.  Recent FAA and TSA safety 
and security assessments underscore that Senegal is making 
good progress toward FAA Category 1 status, one of our 
Mission Performance Plan (MPP) goals.  An FAA team found 
that Senegal's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has made 
excellent progress since 2003 but does not possess the 
technical wherewithal to do it alone.  Finding and funding 
technical assistance both pose challenges.  As for 
security, the perimeter fence at Dakar's international 
airport must be repaired in spite of a desire to focus on 
the new airport.  The GOS must also follow through and 
consent to having a perimeter vulnerability assessment 
conducted by TSA at no cost to the GOS to determine the 
airport's vulnerability to shoulder-fired weapons 
(MANPADS).  Embassy urges the Department to consult with 
DOT to determine if the FAA should be the long-term 
technical services provider while examining possible 
funding sources.  Please see paragraph 9 for additional 
details of action request.  END SUMMARY AND ACTION 
REQUEST. 
 
AVIATION SAFETY 
--------------- 
¶2.  (U) The Government of Senegal (GOS) has a strong 
desire to achieve Category 1 status for its aviation 
safety oversight program.  FAA Category 1 status would 
mean that Senegal is in compliance with the International 
Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO's) international 
standards and practices, and has effective safety 
oversight of its aviation industry.  Senegal's national 
air carrier, Air Senegal International, or any air carrier 
so designated by the Government of Senegal will, under the 
Open Skies Agreement, be able to have direct flights to 
the United States. 
 
¶3.  (U) To this end, the Government of Senegal (GOS), on a 
reimbursable basis, has signed a technical assistance 
agreement with the FAA.  The GOS funded a visit by a FAA 
Flight Standards Safety team in March 2006 to conduct a 
Technical Review of the Civil Aviation Authority's (CAA) 
safety oversight program.  The FAA team found while 
Senegal's CAA had made excellent progress toward 
compliance with international standards, there is still 
much work to be done.  The team gave the Government high 
marks for the political will as evidenced by progress made 
since the FAA's earlier visit in 2003.  However, the CAA 
must do more to implement the safety oversight program, in 
such areas as training, developing technical guidance for 
CAA inspectors and in issuing guidance for the aviation 
industry.  Improvement is also needed in the quality of 
inspections, timely reporting of deficiencies, and in 
taking appropriate enforcement action. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Next Steps: There is recognition by all 
concerned that the CAA does not possess the technical 
wherewithal to do it alone in trying to reach FAA Category 
¶1.  Continuous technical assistance is needed and with 
this need funding becomes a priority.  Who will provide 
the technical assistance?  The preferred organization 
would be the FAA.  However, Embassy recognizes that the 
FAA has a shortage of technical personnel within its 
international program.  Use of aviation consulting firms 
is another approach, but historically these firms do not 
deliver the best product.  In the recent past Senegal's 
CAA used a French consulting firm which exhausted all of 
the funds donated by the World Bank, and delivered a 
product Senegal could not use. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Possible Sources for Funding: Boeing's 
Representative in Dakar, Jan Labeeuw, has shown a keen 
interest in Senegal reaching Category 1 because Air 
Senegal International is a Boeing customer, and if Air 
Senegal International has plans to fly to the U.S., the 
air carrier will need to purchase additional long-range 
aircraft.  Boeing is currently assisting the Angola to 
attain FAA Category 1, following the purchase of several 
Boeing aircraft by TAAG, the Angolan air carrier.  The 
World Bank has previously funded Senegal's efforts towards 
reaching compliance with international aviation safety 
 
DAKAR 00000957  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
standards.  Now, that there seems to be renewed political 
will by the GOS, the World Bank just may once again have 
an interest. 
 
AVIATION SECURITY 
----------------- 
¶6.  (U) The Department of Homeland Security Transportation 
Security Administration's (TSA) representative and two 
inspectors visited Dakar in March 2006 to conduct an 
evaluation of Senegal's aviation security system.  The 
most significant finding was that the airport's security 
fence is in a serious state of disrepair.  Airport 
officials stated that because the GOS is building a new 
airport, there is resistance to spending funds in 
maintaining Leopold Sedar Senghor (LSS) International 
Airport.  Meanwhile, international flights continue to 
operate from LSS, therefore the Airport must be maintained 
according to international standards. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The GOS must follow through and consent to 
having a perimeter vulnerability assessment conducted by 
TSA at no cost to the GOS to determine the Airport's 
 
SIPDIS 
vulnerability to shoulder-fired weapons commonly referred 
to as MANPADS. 
 
NEW DELTA AND SOUTH AFRICAN SERVICES 
------------------------------------ 
¶8.  (U) South African Airlines begins daily flights from 
Johannesburg to Washington Dulles via Dakar next month. 
Delta Air Lines is scheduled to begin service from Atlanta 
through Dakar to Johannesburg in December 2006.  The state 
of security takes on added significance with the 
introduction of operations by a U.S. air carrier. 
 
ACTION REQUEST 
-------------- 
¶9.  (U) Embassy urges the Department to consult with DOT 
to determine if the FAA should be the long-term technical 
services provider.  We further urge the Department to 
explore the use of Safe Skies for Africa or World Bank 
funding to support this needed technical assistance. 
 
JACOBS