P 181454Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY TEL AVIV
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9678
FAA EASTERN RGN HQ JAMAICA NY PRIORITY
FAA EUROPE AFRICA MID EAST RGN HQ BRUSSELS BE PRIORITY
FAA NATIONAL HQ WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY ABU DHABI 
INFO DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHDC

UNCLAS TEL AVIV 002840 
 
 
BRUSSELS FOR TFAZIO 
ABU DHABI FOR FAA REP 
FAA FOR AFS-50/API/ACG-7 
STATE FOR EEB/TRA DMOORE,JBYERLY,KGUSTAVSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAIR ECON IS
SUBJECT: ISRAEL CIVAIR: GOI NOTIFIED OF CAT 2 STATUS 
 
REF: STATE 129874 
 
¶1. (U) SUMMARY: Post notified Director-General of the Civil 
Aviation Authority (CAA) Giora Romm on Thursday, December 18 
of the Federal Aviation Authority's findings and the 
designation of Israel as Category 2, Not in Compliance with 
international standards for aviation safety oversight under 
the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA).  The 
letter in reftel was also given to DG Romm.  Romm reported to 
Econcouns on his recent trip to Washington DC, where he met 
with several Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) key players and 
attended a two-day conference on international civil 
aviation.  In addition, he also updated Post of the GOI's 
recent efforts to address the Category 2 rating, including 
some recent draft legislation that was passed in the Knesset 
to form an interministerial committee to empower the CAA and 
expand its budgetary authority.  Romm seemed to imply that he 
was not seeking to resign from his post as Director-General, 
alluding to rumors of his departure during the upcoming 
transition in the Israeli government. END SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (U) Econcouns met with DG of the CAA Giora Romm on 
December 18 to present the letter from FAA Director of Flight 
Standards Service James J. Ballough that alerted Israel to 
the official designation as a Category 2 country.  After Romm 
said that he accepted the letter and its conclusion, he 
reported on his recent trip to Washington DC to attend an 
FAA-sponsored conference on international civil aviation and 
on his meetings with key FAA contacts, in addition to 
meetings with Department of State and Transport.  Romm 
described the visit as "educational" and stated that he saw 
the FAA and the CAA as partners.  He was pleased that the FAA 
would be spending considerable time in Israel and mentioned 
that there were already plans for FAA training in January. 
 
¶3. (U) Romm also detailed his latest efforts to address the 
civil aviation situation in Israel, including bringing in 
three outside experts who would be solely dedicated to 
working on the IASA.  He had a small concern regarding 
whether the Ministry of Transport would agree to his choices 
for future hires without a public tendering process that 
could take significant time and delay their recruitment. 
Romm also reported on two government resolutions that were 
passed in the Knesset in the beginning of December: one 
stipulating that by February 1, 2009 an interministerial 
committee would be formed to strengthen the CAA and expand 
its authority; and the other that would allow the CAA to 
recruit employees and handle its own budgetary resources. 
 
¶4. (U) COMMENT: Romm seems quite capable and well-informed of 
the challenges that lie ahead to improve Israel's CAA and 
aviation in general.  He told Econcouns that he had formed a 
committee to deal with the contentious Israeli issue of 
airspace allocation between the Israeli Air Force and Civil 
Aviation, and was already at work on dealing with regulation 
of Israel's Unmanned Aviation Vehicles (UAVs), which 
represents 15 per cent of the world's market.  Romm seemed 
aware of rumors that he would leave his post with the 
changeover in the GOI, but emphasized to Econcouns that 
disturbing the continuity of the CAA at this point would not 
be in any political party's favor, since aviation safety was 
so important.  Post believes that with continued close 
working relations between the CAA and FAA, in addition to 
positive encouragement, Romm will be able to improve the 
aviation situation in Israel and enact the necessary changes. 
 
 
 
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CUNNINGHAM