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P 301331Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8628
INFO RUEHTV/AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV PRIORITY 0934
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0097
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DAMASCUS 001952 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NEA/ELA 
NSC FOR ABRAMS/DORAN/SINGH 
TREASURY FOR GLASER/LEBENSON 
EB/ESC/TFS FOR SALOOM 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/26/2016 
TAGS: EAIR ECON ETTC SY SANC
SUBJECT: AIRLINES IN SYRIA SEEKING TO OBTAIN AIRCRAFT 
 
REF: DAMASCUS 1811 
 
Classified By: CDA Stephen Seche for reasons 1.4 b/d 
 
¶1.  (C) Summary:  According to a recently commissioned 
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) report, only 
four to six of Syrian Arab Airlines' 16 airplanes are 
currently fit to fly.  As a result of U.S. sanctions, 
SyrianAir is facing difficulty obtaining U.S. or 
European-sourced aircraft, and is considering purchasing 
Russian airframes to update its fleet.  In an effort to 
ameliorate the problems associated with SyrianAir's flight 
capabilities, the SARG recently licensed 12 private airlines. 
 At least three of the new licensed private airlines - Al 
Sharqiya Airlines, Eagle Airlines, and Global Express 
Airlines - are exploring wet and dry lease options with a 
number of aircraft companies in order to begin charter 
flights, which their owners hope will ultimately lead to the 
development of full-fledged commercial airlines.  While the 
airline representatives were seemingly nonplussed about the 
challenges posed by U.S. sanctions, they admitted that the 
establishment of private airlines in Syria posed a 
significant threat to the viability of SyrianAir.  End 
summary. 
 
¶2. (U)  An article in government-controlled al-Thawra 
newspaper reported that on April 28 a delegation from Russian 
Ilyushin company met with Syrian Minister of Transportation 
Yarob Sulieman Bader to provide samples and specifications of 
Russian aircraft.  The visit succeeds previous press reports 
that the Ministry of Transportation is considering the 
purchase of new Russian aircraft as one possible option in 
updating the fleet operated by SyrianAir.  According to the 
articles, Bader believes that U.S. trade sanctions will 
continue to inhibit Syrian Air from obtaining new Boeing or 
Airbus airframes or spare parts for existing planes.  Bader's 
statements follow recent meetings held with the ICAO to 
evaluate the safety of SyrianAir's current fleet and explore 
possible options - such as leasing aircraft (reftel) or 
purchasing sanctions-compliant airframes - to improve 
SyrianAir's flight capabilities. 
 
¶3. (C)  In addition to SyrianAir, several newly licensed 
private airlines are also exploring options for purchasing or 
leasing aircraft.  At least twelve licenses for private 
airplanes have been approved under Investment Law number 10 
since June 2005.  The first license was granted to Abou Shaar 
Group, which will invest approximately USD 40 million to 
extablish Al Sharqiya Airlines.  Owner Bourhan Abou Shaar 
says that while Gulf investors are interested in investing in 
his airline project, he does not believe that they will 
commit funds until Al Sharqiya aircraft receive certification 
from the Syrian Civil Aviation Directorate.  Initially Abou 
Shaar wants to lease to buy two turbo-prop planes: one with a 
30-passenger capacity and the other with a 75-passenger 
capacity to fly both domestic and regional routes.  He is 
currently exploring options with Stork Aerospace (Fokker), 
Air Desert Pacific, Empresa, and Saab.  In the first phase of 
the project, Al Sharqiya Airlines will operate as a private 
charter airline catering to foreign oil companies, Syrian 
expatriates returning for the holidays, and Muslim travelers 
making the annual hajj pilgrimage.  Additionally, Abou Shaar 
is exploring the possibility of partnering with SyrianAir in 
a code-share agreement in order to allow for more domestic 
flight options.  Abou Shaar told us that for the second phase 
of his airline project (which he believes will begin in a 
year or two), he wants to obtain a Boeing 737 or Airbus 320 
to provide more regional flight options for Syrian travelers, 
and utlimately hopes to be approved for regular flight routes 
and maintenance facilities.  However he admits that the 
regime has historically viewed private airlines in Syria as 
competition to state-owned SyrianAir, and thus has 
deliberately created obstacles to prevent them from 
succeeding. 
 
¶4. (C) Anas al Madani, owner of one of the only private FM 
radio and TV channels in Syria, holds a license for recently 
established Eagle Airlines.  Madani and an unnamed Syrian MP 
own Eagle Airlines and originally planned to invest USD 250 
million, which Madani says was reduced to USD 100 million 
once he and his business partner decided to lease instead of 
 
DAMASCUS 00001952  002 OF 002 
 
 
purchase aircraft.  Madani claims that Eagle Airlines, along 
with all other private airlines in Syria, must wait for a 
determination on whether used aircraft can be imported into 
Syria duty-free under Investment Law number 10. (Note: The 
law currently only allows duty-free import for new equipment 
and otherwise the equipment must be imported and taxed under 
Syria's Commercial Law.  End note.)  Madani is seeking to 
lease up to four Boeing and Airbus mid-size passenger jets 
from companies in India, Ukraine, Turkey, and Cyprus, and 
plans to initially offer charter flights both regionally and 
to Europe and Southeast Asia.  Ultimately he plans to develop 
his project into a commercial airline.  Madani told us that 
he would like to pursue both "dry lease" and "wet lease" 
agreements for Eagle Airlines aircraft, and indicated that a 
wet lease was more likely under U.S. sanctions.  Unlike 
SyrianAir, Madani stated that he does not believe that a wet 
lease (which specifies that the aircraft remains under the 
full control of the leasing company) would threaten his 
company's national identity. 
 
¶5. (C)  Saleh Al Aroud, Managing Director of RusAviation, 
believes that Global Express Airlines is likely to be the 
most successful private airline in Syria because, unlike his 
competitors, Al Aroud has significant experience operating 
RusAviation - a Kyrgyzstan charter and cargo airline based in 
Dubai that allegedly contracts with the U.S. military in 
Iraq.  Though Global Express Airlines is licensed to Muafaq 
Hosni Alhabashi, Al Aroud (a Syrian-Russian dual national) is 
assisting with the establishment of the airline.  Aroud said 
that Global Express Airlines has not yet opened an office in 
Damascus and has thus far only invested about USD 50,000, as 
it is waiting on the Syrian Civil Aviation Directorate to 
determine the rules and regulations for used aircraft before 
it proceeds.  Aroud is pursuing investment from Syria, Turkey 
and Dubai, and is looking at both dry and wet lease options 
for aircraft.  He prefers a dry lease with a lease-to-buy 
option, but asserts that the Civil Aviation Directorate has 
no objections to wet leases.  Aroud told us that he is 
intially planning to lease one turbo-prop cargo plane because 
Syrian Air is not operating any, and is currently in 
discussions with Iceland Air and Fokker on the lease options. 
 In the second stage of his project, he wants to operate 
passenger routes to Sharjaa, Dubai, Turkey, Jordan, and Iraq. 
 Aroud mentioned the recent visit of the ICAO technical team, 
as well as UNDP's and ICAO's willingness to negotiate 
aircraft leases for Syrian Air (reftel).  Aroud claims that 
ICAO is prohibited from conducting similar negotiations for 
potential operators (such as the emerging Syrian private 
airlines) until they receive approval and certification from 
the Syrian Civial Aviation Directorate. 
 
¶6.  (C) Comment:  As reftel reported, SyrianAir faces serious 
flight safety concerns that SARG oficials are anxious to 
blame on U.S. sanctions.  As these private airline 
initiatives highlight, the SARG has options other than buying 
new Boeing or Airbus planes for SyrianAir.  But because the 
establishment of private airlines in Syria poses a threat to 
Syrian Air and its customer base, the necessary approval from 
the Civil Aviation Directorate will likely not be 
expeditiously granted.  Nevertheless, it will be increasingly 
incumbent on the SARG to choose between continuing to allow 
its national carrier to fly unsafe aircraft or open up to 
private investment. 
SECHE