VZCZCXYZ0006
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHSF #0344/01 1511103
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 301103Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY SOFIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 5085
INFO RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY 0287
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/FAA NATIONAL HQ LONGMONT WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY 0004

UNCLAS SOFIA 000344 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
PASS TO EUR/NCE LAURA LOCHMAN, MARK TURNER, VALDA 
VICKMANIS-KELLER 
PASS TO EEB/TRA/OTB MEGAN WALKLET-TIGHE AND KRISTIN 
GUSTAVSON 
PARIS FOR FAA REP 
FAA FOR AFS-50/API/AGC-7 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAIR ECON BU
SUBJECT: BULGARIA CIVAIR:  FAA UPGRADES BULGARIA TO 
CATEGORY 1 
 
REF: STATE 44304 
 
¶1.  (SBU)  SUMMARY:  In a second round of discussions on May 
21, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) upgraded 
Bulgaria's Directorate General Civil Aviation Administration 
(DGCAA) to Category 1 status, opening the possibility of 
eventual direct flights between the United States and Sofia 
by a Bulgarian air carrier or by a codeshare with a U.S. air 
carrier.  Category 1 status would also allow for the 
Department of Defense (DOD) personnel on official travel to 
use Bulgarian air carriers.  The decision follows an initial 
meeting in January (REFTEL) in which the FAA laid out 
improvements necessary for the DGCAA to meet International 
Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) standards.  The decision 
included clauses allowing for a follow-up visit within one 
year, or in the event a Bulgarian air carrier applies to 
provided service to the United States or codeshare with a 
U.S. air carrier.  The FAA agreed to Prime Minister 
Stanishev's request to hold off making a public announcement 
of the decision until his official visit to Washington in 
mid-June.  END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the 
Bulgarian Directorate General Civil Aviation Administration 
(DGCAA) discussed issues concerning civil aviation safety 
between the two countries on May 21, 2008.  The formal final 
discussions were a follow-up to the FAA's January 2008 
International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA).  At that 
time, the FAA IASA team indicated that the Bulgarian DGCAA 
was not in compliance with the International Civil Aviation 
Organization (ICAO) standards for aviation safety in the 
following areas:  hiring and retaining qualified inspectors 
to perform oversight activities; and developing and 
implementing an airman licensing and operator certification 
systems.  The FAA team discussed possible corrective measures 
with the DGCAA and urged Bulgarian officials to take prompt 
action after the January IASA. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  During the final discussions in Sofia on May 21, 
the FAA team reviewed the noted safety oversight deficiencies 
and corrective measures taken since the January assessment. 
The FAA team consisted of: 
 
Dawn R. H. Veatch, Team Leader, Division Manager Flight 
Standards, Southern Region 
Michael Daniel, Manager Singapore IFO 
Mark Bury, Associate Chief Counsel, AEU-7 (Legal) 
Lirio Liu, FAA Senior Representative, US Embassy Paris 
 
As Bulgaria is an European Union (EU) member, the FAA team 
also invited a member of the European Aviation Safety Agency 
(EASA), Georges Rebender, as an observer. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  During the final discussions, the FAA Team 
recommended upgrading the Bulgarian DGCAA to Category 1 -- in 
compliance with ICAO aviation safety standards -- and FAA HQ 
concurred.  The FAA team and the DGCAA signed a "record of 
discussions" on May 21, which was sent to FAA HQ in 
Washington.  Post expects a formal congratulatory letter from 
FAA HQ that Post will give to the Bulgarian government in the 
next few weeks.  The "record of discussions" also includes 
clauses allowing for a follow-up FAA visit within the next 
year, or at the time when a Bulgarian air carrier applies to 
provide service to the United States or codeshare with a U.S. 
air carrier, to ensure that the DGCAA is maintaining Category 
1 standards. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  On May 22, the FAA team formally presented the 
"record of discussions" to Bulgarian Minister of 
Transportation Petar Mutafchiev, Deputy Minister of 
Transportation Krassimira Martinova and DGCAA Director 
General Zahari Alexiev, informing them about the next steps 
to upgrade to Category 1.  No official press release was made 
at the time.  Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev requested that 
FAA and Post hold the public FAA announcement until his trip 
to Washington in mid-June. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  During their official out-brief, FAA team members 
thanked Post for its efforts to keep pressure on Bulgarian 
officials to meet ICAO standards.  The team requested that 
Post continue supporting the DGCAA, which has requested more 
 
funding from the Bulgarian government to increase its staff 
and employee salaries.  They also noted that the FAA made its 
decision to upgrade Bulgaria to Category 1 status before the 
EU's expected official announcement that would remove 
Bulgaria's "safeguard clause" on aviation safety. 
Beyrle