VZCZCXRO4859
OO RUEHFL RUEHNP
DE RUEHRO #1329/01 1250430
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 050430Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY ROME
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4643
INFO RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY 1500
RUEHMIL/AMCONSUL MILAN PRIORITY 7026
RUEHNP/AMCONSUL NAPLES PRIORITY 1434
RUEHFL/AMCONSUL FLORENCE PRIORITY 1360
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ROME 001329 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
BRUSSELS FOR FAA REP KURT EDWARDS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAIR IT
SUBJECT: MIMA/EUROFLY, FLIGHTS WILL LIKELY GO FORWARD 
UNLESS USG TAKES ACTION 
 
REF: A. STATE 69276 
 
     ¶B. REDDY-BYERLY E-MAILS 
     ¶C. ROME 1303 
     ¶D. STATE 55307 
 
This cable is Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please do not 
share this outside the United States Government. Not for 
Internet publication. 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  Italy's aviation authority appears to be 
acquiescing to the MiMa/Eurofly flights.  ENAC's Vice 
Director General, Salvatore Sciacchitano, said that, barring 
a decision by his agency to deny permission, Eurofly could 
begin operating from Linate's general aviation terminal on a 
flight-by-flight basis.  He asked the USG to provide any 
documentary evidence it had, including flight plans, that 
would boost the case that Eurofly intends to offer the 
service on a scheduled basis.  Sciacchitano said ENAC will 
reevaluate its position based on USG objections.  Econoff 
informed ENAC May 4 of the decision to cancel the TSA 
assessment of Linate Airport and underscored that without a 
favorable TSA assessment of Linate/Eurofly security 
practices, Eurofly could not depart Linate for the United 
States.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (U) Ecmin and Econoff delivered ref A points May 3 to 
Achille Vinci Giacchi, Diplomatic Advisor to Minister of 
Transportation Pietro Lunardi, and Salvatore Sciacchitano, 
Vice-Director General of Italy's aviation agency, ENAC. 
 
GOI Non-Decision Would Allow Flights to Start. 
--------------------------------------------- - 
 
¶3. (U) Sciacchitano said ENAC, which had earlier in the week 
called a meeting with Eurofly and Milano Manhattan Club 
(MiMa) representatives, was still gathering information on 
the proposed flights.  He said neither Eurofly nor MiMa had 
made any formal request for authorization and that ENAC was 
still evaluating the situation. 
 
¶4. (U) Econoff pressed Sciacchitano to explain what would 
happen if ENAC simply did not make a decision prior to the 
proposed May 8 inaugural flight.  Sciacchitano admitted that, 
should ENAC take no action, Eurofly/MiMa could commence 
operations from Linate's general aviation terminal on a 
flight-by-flight basis.  Sciacchitano said he understood 
MiMa/Eurofly had filed a flight plan in Italy for May 8 and 
May 17.  Econoff urged ENAC to take positive action to deny 
permission based upon, if nothing else, the fact that 
MiMa/Eurofly is publicly advertising this service on its 
website, which violates Italian regulations governing general 
aviation flights. 
 
ENAC Asks for Evidence of Scheduled Service. 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶5. (SBU) Sciacchitano hit upon Ref A point that Eurofly has 
presented this service to the USG as a scheduled charter.  He 
said Eurofly has explicitly told the GOI that the service 
will not be scheduled.  ENAC, he said, would appreciate 
copies of any documents, including flight plans filed by 
Eurofly in the United States, that show Eurofly's intention 
to offer the Milan-New York flights on a scheduled basis.  He 
also asked for an official copy of Ref A points on Embassy 
letterhead. (Note: We provided this to ENAC May 4. End note.) 
 He said ENAC would take USG objections to the flights into 
consideration, but Sciacchitano fell short of saying that 
ENAC would move to stop the May 8 flight. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Sciacchitano said he understood USG objections, but 
he stressed that the Eurofly/MiMa proposal was an entirely 
new and ambiguous situation and that the GOI did not have a 
cut-and-dried basis to stop the flights. 
 
¶7. (U) On May 4, Econoff notified Emilia Chiavarelli, 
Director of Economic Regulations at ENAC, of the USG's 
decision to cancel the TSA assessment of Linate.  Chiavarelli 
made no response other than to thank Econoff for informing 
them of the decision. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) Eurofly has evidently used its connections to get 
this far with a scheme that clearly violates Italy's own ban 
 
ROME 00001329  002 OF 002 
 
 
on trans-Atlantic service to and from Linate Airport.   ENAC, 
we believe, has been under intense pressure to approve, or at 
least acquiesce to, the flights.  Privately, some Embassy 
contacts have said that, should ENAC deny permission, Eurofly 
will initiate court proceedings against the GOI to recoup its 
losses, including money spent on upgrades to Linate's general 
aviation terminal. 
 
¶9. (SBU) We think the decision to cancel the TSA security 
assessment of Linate and Eurofly/MiMa flight adequately 
conveys the USG intent to stop this Linate trans-Atlantic 
service.  However, we think that Eurofly/MiMa will not be 
deterred: they will continue to pressure the outgoing 
government, or the incoming government, to launch flights. 
In the longer term, we would not be surprised, if the 
government lifted its own prohibitions against Linate-based 
trans-Atlantic flights, which could mean reciprocity for U.S. 
carriers, either through direct flights or codesharing. End 
comment. 
SPOGLI