VZCZCXRO4993
PP RUEHIK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #1719/01 1071047
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 171047Z APR 06
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9641
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHAD/AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI PRIORITY 1540
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE PRIORITY 0196
RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD PRIORITY 3230
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 6862
RUEHDE/AMCONSUL DUBAI PRIORITY 4371
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMFISS/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL PRIORITY
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 1280
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 2439
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 5849
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC PRIORITY
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHDC PRIORITY 0062
RUEANHA/FAA WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 001719 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A, EB/OTP, EB/CBA 
NSC FOR AHARRIMAN, AMEND 
CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A 
TREASURY FOR PARAMESWARAN 
COMMERCE FOR AADLER AND ITA BLOPP 
TRANSPORTATION FOR DMODESITT 
FAA FOR JHANCOCK AND TMARZIN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAIR ECON AF
SUBJECT: ARIANA FLIGHTS TO UAE SUSPENDED 
 
REF: A. 05 KABUL 4140 
 
     ¶B. KABUL 0444 
 
KABUL 00001719  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Sensitive but Unclassified.  Not for Internet distribution. 
 
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Summary 
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¶1.  (SBU) Afghan Ministry of Transport officials informed 
Embassy's FAA representative that an April 14, 2006 ramp 
inspection of an Ariana aircraft by UAE Civil Aviation 
Authorities found numerous, serious safety infractions and 
violations.  UAE authorities allowed the plane to return to 
Kabul without passengers but suspended all/all Ariana 
operations in the UAE until further notice.  With over fifty 
percent of Ariana,s passenger seat revenues generated from 
UAE traffic, this suspension will have drastic implications 
for Ariana,s already fragile financial status.  The Afghan 
Ministry of Transport and Ariana Airlines sent a team, 
including Post's FAA representative, to Abu Dhabi to explore 
a resumption of service.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) Afghan civil aviation authorities informed us that 
on April 14, 2006, UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority 
(GCAA) conducted a ramp inspection on Ariana's flight AFG401, 
a Boeing 727-200 aircraft.  The inspectors found 17 major 
safety infractions.  The flight manual onboard was not issued 
to the operator.  There was no operational flight plan with 
fuel planning, so compliance with fuel requirements could not 
be verified.  No lifevests or passenger safety briefing cards 
were onboard for economy class passengers.  The flight 
engineer's license did not include a medical certificate and 
the Captain's medical certificate was invalid.  The air 
operating certificate displayed on board had expired on April 
1, 2006.  The insurance certificate expired almost a year 
ago.  There was one emergency locator transmitter onboard, 
but its certification had expired in July 2004.  The minimum 
equipment list onboard was not approved by the state of 
registry for the operator.  The total aircraft hours/cycles 
could not be established.  The documents presented indicated 
that the last maintenance was done in January 2004 and that 
further maintenance was due 3,000 hours from that date.  No 
noise certificate or radio license was onboard.  There was no 
evidence to indicate that the aircraft was equipped with a 
ground proximity warning system that has a predictive terrain 
hazard warning function.  These are all violations of 
International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Annex 6 and 
UAE aviation regulations.  The inspection report noted that 
these findings "give indication of the lack of safety and 
regulatory oversight by the State of Registry/Operator," in 
this case Afghanistan's Ministry of Transport (MOT). 
 
¶3.  (SBU) UAE authorities immediately grounded Ariana's 
flight AFG401.  In a letter dated April 15th, GCAA informed 
the GoA,s MOT that the flight would only be permitted to 
depart UAE on a ferry flight (empty, no passengers). 
Further, GCAA asked for a meeting with Ariana and Afghan 
civil aviation authorities to discuss safety and regulatory 
oversight issues.  GCAA suspended all Ariana operations in 
the UAE until the satisfactory conclusion of such a meeting. 
Representatives from MOT and Ariana left for Abu Dhabi on 
April 15th.  The Minister of Transport asked Post's FAA 
representative to attend in an advisory capacity.  He 
 
KABUL 00001719  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
departed for Abu Dhabi on April 16th.  The Afghan team will 
meet with GCAA to try to negotiate a resumption of service. 
 
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Comment 
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¶4.  (SBU) As detailed in reftels, MOT does not currently have 
the capacity to effectively regulate and oversee the safe 
operation of airlines.  Mission support on capacity building 
and civil aviation legislation will improve MOT oversight in 
the medium to long term, but Ariana itself has been an 
obstacle to improving regulatory oversight.  As a state-owned 
carrier that enjoys significant political backing, Ariana 
routinely disregards MOT regulatory requirements and 
instructions.  GCAA's suspension of Ariana's service will 
have major repercussions if service is not restored quickly. 
As UAE traffic comprises over fifty percent of Ariana,s 
passenger traffic, this suspension will result in substantial 
revenue losses for an already financially strapped Ariana. 
This action follows on the heels of Ariana,s inclusion on a 
list of carriers banned from operating in the European Union 
a few weeks ago.  The status of Ariana,s Boeing lease, a 
detailed analysis of Ariana,s financial situation, and 
Ariana,s plan for eventual privatization will be reported 
via septels.  End comment. 
Norland