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DE RUEHTH #0174/01 0261044
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P 261044Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY ATHENS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7953
INFO RUEAWJF/DHS WASHDC PRIORITY

UNCLAS E F T O ATHENS 000174 
 
SIPDIS 
 
NOFORN 
SENSITIVE 
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E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAIR GR
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR DISCUSSES AIR SAFETY AND SECURITY WITH 
HELLENIC CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY GOVERNOR 
 
 ¶1.  (U) Summary: On January 18th, Ambassador called on 
Hellenic Civil Aviation Authority (HCAA) Governor Ioannis 
Andrianopoulos to discuss air safety and security, as well as 
the recent announcements by Continental Airlines and 
USAirways that they would be beginning direct service from 
the U.S. to Athens this summer.  Ambassador also took the 
opportunity to praise the HCAA's accident investigation team, 
which recently concluded the politically sensitive 
investigation into the summer 2005 crash of Helios flight 
122, and to discuss improved communication during U.S. Naval 
carrier visits (with CAP flights) and the HCAA air traffic 
control system. Andrianopoulos was well-versed in all the 
subjects discussed, open and frank in his assessments of both 
the distance travelled and distance yet to go on aviation 
security and safety in Greece, and indicated it remains his 
top priority to maintain the excellent rapport between his 
organization and all the elements of U.S. agencies and 
organizations with which it works.  End summary. 
 
BATA and New Routes Opening 
--------------------------- 
¶2.  (SBU) On January 18th, Ambassador, along with TSA attache 
Daniel Furlong, called on HCAA Governor Ioannis 
Andrianopoulos.  Andrianopoulos, who has been Governor only 
for a few months, was the former Deputy Governor and a former 
Lieutenant General in the Hellenic Air Force.  Andrianopoulos 
spoke decent, if somewhat careful, English.  Ambassador 
opened the meeting by expressing our satisfaction with the 
announced entry of two new U.S. air carriers (Continental and 
U.S. Airways) into the Athens market.  Ambassador then noted 
some work needed to be completed vis-a-vis route 
designations, and expressed his hope that the GoG was 
prepared to roll-over the Greek-U.S. bilateral air transport 
agreement (BATA) this July.  Andranopoulos indicated he was 
not aware of any problems with renewing the agreement and 
concurred that the two new proposed direct routes would be 
beneficial for both countries. 
 
Airport Security 
---------------- 
¶3.  (U) Ambassador and TSA attache then delivered a copy of 
TSA's investigation report of Athens International Airport, 
 
SIPDIS 
and thanked Andrianopoulos for all the assistance his staff 
had provided to both the TSA team and himself over the last 
few months.  Andrianopoulos reiterated his position that 
continuing to improve Greek aviation security and safety were 
his top two priorities as HCAA governor, and that he was at 
the Embassy's disposal to resolve any and all concerns that 
we, or any USG agency, might have.  He also noted that a 
European IASA team was coming soon to do its own 
investigation of airport security measures, and that an FAA 
representative would be along as well.  Andrianopoulos also 
discussed a feasibility study that had been launched to 
expand the new baggage- and passenger-screening systems 
recently installed at the airport in Thessaloniki in six 
other airports, including Rhodes, Corfu, Xakinthos, Irakleon, 
and Santorini.  He was aware that the EU had offered funding 
to upgrade the security systems of these airports, but that 
the projects must have been approved and commence by summer 
2008, or this funding would be withdrawn. 
 
Olympic Airlines 
---------------- 
¶4.  (SBU) Ambassador asked Andrianopoulos if he had any 
opinion about the future of Olympic Airlines, noting that 
Ministry of Finance Deputy Minister Doukas (nominally in 
charge of privatizing Olympic Airlines) had announced a trip 
to Brussels to discuss the recent Hellenic court decision 
awarding 520 million euro from the Greek state to Olympic for 
damages.  (Note: this amount is coincidentally almost exactly 
the same amount as the EC determined Olympic Airlines owes 
the Greek state for repayment of illegal state aid.  End 
note.)  Andrianopoulos was surprisingly blunt: Olympic 
Airlines has no future, and a political solution must be 
found that will allow the airline to exit the market.  Given 
Greece's need to continue to provide air service to connect 
the multitude of islands to the mainland, he did not feel 
that a single air carrier in Greece was a viable option 
(presumably because of monopoly pricing/competition 
concerns), but he indicated that a new, partially state-owned 
company, free of any taint of illegal State aid was the best 
way forward. 
 
Regional Challenges 
------------------- 
¶5.  (U) Adrianopoulos also discussed some of the challenges 
the HCAA faces, including Flexible Use of Airspace (FUA) and 
Factual Airspace Bloc (FAB) regulations being implemented by 
the EU, particularly as they affect commercial overflights of 
Greek-controlled airspace.  Adrianopoulos indicated that most 
 
western European air carriers prefer to fly directly over the 
Balkans on their way to the Mid-East, instead of having to 
fly over the Adriatic.  This creates congestion and 
air-control hand-off concerns, and Greece has been in heavy 
discussions with Serbia, Bulgaria, Kosovo, and Macedonia on 
FAB implementation. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Comment: Adrianopoulos conducted this meeting on 
his own, with no staff or papers, and was clearly well-versed 
on all the topics raised.  His experience as Deputy HCAA 
Governor is clearly standing him in good stead as Governor 
and should provide us with an excellent contact on any future 
aviation safety or security issues that might arise.  End 
comment. 
RIES