VZCZCXYZ0017
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSJ #0195/01 0721927
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 121927Z MAR 08
FM AMEMBASSY SAN JOSE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9517
INFO RUEHSN/AMEMBASSY SAN SALVADOR 5219

UNCLAS SAN JOSE 000195 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR H:DRICH AND WHA/CEN:RBEAL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OREP PREL PGOV ETRD ECON EAIR SNAR CS
SUBJECT: CODEL COSTELLO REVIEWS CIVIL AVIATION 
 
¶1.  SUMMARY. On March 1-4, a Congressional delegation 
(CODEL) led by the Aviation Subcommittee Chairman Jerry 
Costello (D-IL) visited Costa Rica to review the aircraft 
repair operations of Cooperativa Autogestionaria de 
Servicios Aeroindustriales R.L. (COOPESA). COOPESA has 
ongoing offshore repair contracts with several U.S. 
airlines.  The delegation seemed impressed by the quality 
of work conducted at COOPESA.  With Minister of Public 
Transport (MOPT) Gonzalez, the CODEL discussed advances in 
regional civil aviation, public-private partnerships for 
highway development, and revenue sources for infrastructure 
improvements.  The CODEL also toured the Ministry of Public 
Security's Air Wing, which has a major counter-narcotics 
mission.  This cable has been cleared by CODEL Costello. 
END SUMMARY. 
 
========================= 
A CHECK ON CIVIL AVIATION 
========================= 
 
¶2. Rep. Jerry Costello (D-IL), Chairman of the Subcommittee 
on Aviation, part of the House Transportation and 
Infrastructure Committee, led the CODEL on a two-country 
visit to El Salvador and Costa Rica, February 28 - March 4. 
CODEL members (all making their first visit to Costa Rica) 
are listed in paragraph eight.  Associate Administrator of 
Aviation Safety for the Federal Aviation Administration 
(FAA) Nicolas Sabatini was included in the delegation.  The 
CODEL's goal was to observe the day-to-day operations of 
major commercial aircraft repair stations located in Costa 
Rica as well as to review "out-sourced" aircraft repair 
facilities. 
 
===================== 
COOPESA OF COSTA RICA 
===================== 
 
¶3. On March 3, the delegation reviewed the work operations 
of COOPESA, the leading aircraft repair facility in Costa 
Rica.  Based at San Jose's Juan Santamaria airport, COOPESA 
has operated for 45 years as an employee-owned company. 
The company's principle business is "line maintenance" for 
cargo and passenger narrow-body Boeing aircraft such as the 
727, 737, and 757.  COOPESA can also perform "heavy 
maintenance."  In addition to servicing aircraft from 
throughout the Americas, major U.S. companies including 
Aloha airlines, CIT Group, and Ryan contract with COOPESA 
for ongoing maintenance.  Aloha alone accounts for about 30 
percent of COOPESA's business.  COOPESA, which has about 80 
percent of the aircraft "line maintenance" market at Juan 
Santamaria, also performs maintenance on an "as needed" 
basis for American, Continental, and Delta Airlines. 
 
¶4. COOPESA CEO Rimsky Buitrago described the company's 
operations and business model to the delegation, 
highlighting that aircraft and passenger safety was the 
number one rule in his company.  The delegation toured the 
company's facilities, including stops in the parts 
warehouse, a project control room, and two aircraft 
undergoing repair in COOPESA's hangars.  When asked by 
CODEL members, Buitrago outlined maintenance procedures, 
project tracking, and quality control issues.  He also 
explained to Rep. Hirono (D-HI) that although Aloha 
Airlines did not serve the Central American market, the 
company's management had determined that COOPESA could 
deliver quality maintenance at a lower cost than its 
previous maintenance provider in Canada.  The delegation 
praised COOPESA's attention to quality and commitment to 
customer service. 
 
======================= 
CALLING ON THE MINISTER 
======================= 
 
¶5.  After the COOPESA tour, the delegation met with the 
Minister of Public Transport, Karla Gonzalez.  Also 
attending the meeting was Vice Minister Viviana Martin and 
the Director General of Civil Aviation, Jorge Fernandez 
Chacon.  Chairman Costello described the delegation's 
mission to Gonzalez and shared their positive observations 
of COOPESA.  Gonzalez acknowledged the importance of FAA 
standards and influence in the development of aviation 
safety policy worldwide.  She noted that Costa Rica 
obtained its "Category 1" rating in 2002, has maintained 
the rating, and has set the standard for Guatemala and El 
Salvador.  The FAA's Sabatini commented on Costa Rica's 
"quantum leap in the improvement of standards" and praised 
the country, specifically Jorge Vargas, Director of Agencia 
Centroamericana para la Seguridad Aeronautica (COCESNA), 
for its leadership in the regionalization of aviation 
safety in Central America. 
 
¶6.  Minister Gonzalez summarized Costa Rica's many 
infrastructure challenges and said, "we have a long way to 
go."  Responding to several questions from Rep. DeFazio (D- 
OR), Gonzalez said the GOCR paid for road improvements 
through taxes but these revenues had not been allocated to 
the Ministry for more than ten years.  She reported that 
only in January of this year, thanks to the leadership of 
President Arias, the Ministry of Public Transport (MOPT) 
had finally received its earmark for roads.  Gonzalez also 
explained that MOPT needed to achieve better progress to 
structure public partnerships to improve the road system. 
Rep. DeFazio recommended that MOPT consider the Spanish 
system of public private partnership as a model to improve 
Costa Rica's roads since he believed it was one of the more 
successful partnerships in Europe.  Chairman Costello 
suggested that MOPT could use a financing mechanism of 
dedicated taxes to support concessions for airport 
improvements.  In response, the Minister noted Costa Rica's 
difficulties with concessions ("no successful concessions 
of any kind") and that this was another area of much needed 
improvement. 
 
========================= 
APPRECIATING THE AIR WING 
========================= 
 
¶7. Before departing Costa Rica, the delegation toured the 
GOCR's Air Wing commanded by Colonel Oldemar Madrigal of 
the Ministry of Public Security.  Madrigal noted that some 
of his equipment had been acquired as seized assets from 
narco-traffickers.  While showing the delegation the GOCR's 
C7 Caribou under restoration, he described the Air Wing's 
mission to combat drug trafficking, support security 
efforts, and assist with disaster relief.  Also, Embassy 
staff noted NASA's scientific missions that are conducted 
in part from facilities controlled by the Air Wing. 
Chairman Costello appreciated the tour and noted how the 
GOCR did admirable work with few resources. 
 
¶8. Delegation Members: 
 
 -- Rep. Jerry Costello (D-IL) 
 -- Rep. Henry E. Brown (R-SC) 
 -- Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) 
 -- Rep. Cliff Stearns(R-FL) 
 -- Rep. Mazie Hirono (D-HI) 
 -- Nicolas A. Sabatini, FAA 
 -- Janice McKinney, Speaker's Office 
 -- Jimmy Miller 
 -- Stacie Soumbeniotis 
 -- Holly Woodruff Lyons 
 -- Christa Fornarotto 
 -- Jana Denning 
 -- Deborah Omori, Doctor 
 -- MAJ Jeremy Glauber 
 -- SSG Will Reinhard 
 -- SGT Hermann Thomas 
 
¶9. This cable has been cleared by CODEL Costello. 
 
BRENNAN