VZCZCXYZ0013
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHTU #0210/01 0960728
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 060728Z APR 09
FM AMEMBASSY TUNIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6162
INFO RUCNMGH/MAGHREB COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 1476
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1953
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMCSUU/FAA NATIONAL HQ WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

UNCLAS TUNIS 000210 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EEB/TRA/AN (HUTCHENS/ROCHE), EEB/CBA, EEB/EPPD, 
AND NEA/MAG (PATTERSON/HAYES) 
STATE PASS USTR (BURKHEAD) 
USDOC FOR ITA/MAC/ONE (MASON), ADVOCACY CTR (TABINE) 
CASABLANCA FOR FCS (ORTIZ) 
LONDON AND PARIS FOR NEA WATCHER 
PARIS PLEASE PASS TO FAA REP 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAIR ECON ETRD EINV TS
SUBJECT: MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION BRINGS UP OPEN SKIES 
 
REF: A. 08 TUNIS 386 
     ¶B. 08 TUNIS 344 
 
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Summary 
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¶1. (SBU)  During an Embassy reception, a senior Tunisian 
official from the Ministry of Transportation told the 
Ambassador the GOT is very interested in having an Open Skies 
Agreement with the United States and wants to proceed quickly 
through concrete actions.  He suggested bilateral meetings 
between civil aviation authorities and said the GOT wanted a 
US airline with which they could negotiate a direct 
Tunisia-US flight.  He noted Tunisair would not be poised to 
service a direct route until 2016.  Post notes the GOT seems 
more interested in a direct flight than an actual Open Skies 
Agreement.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------- 
Signal for Open Skies 
--------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU)  On March 31, Mr. Kamel Ben Miled, Director General 
for International Cooperation at the Tunisian Ministry of 
Transportation (MOT), told the Ambassador and EconOffs at a 
reception that the GOT is very interested in having an Open 
Skies Agreement with the United States and wants to proceed 
quickly and effectively through concrete actions.  Emboffs 
reminded him that we had sent a diplomatic note proposing 
draft text, only to receive an ambiguous Tunisian response. 
Ben Miled said he recommended a meeting between experts from 
both countries' civil aviation authorities to prepare the 
ground for an agreement.  The Ambassador offered to 
facilitate an experts' meeting and send the MOT another draft 
of the Open Skies Agreement.  The Ambassador also offered to 
meet with the Minister of Transportation or other Ministry 
officials if it would be helpful. 
 
¶3. (SBU)  Ben Miled said the GOT is interested in finding a 
US airline with which they can negotiate the possibility of 
flights between Tunisia and the United States, whether 
directly or via Europe.  He noted approximately 20,000 
Americans visit Tunisia each year, which is more than 
sufficient to make a two-hour flight between some European 
hubs and Tunis profitable.  We reminded him about the pending 
request submitted by Northwest Airlines to code-share with 
Air France and Tunisair, but Ben Miled said the Tunis-Paris 
route represents 20 percent of Tunisair's turnover and is its 
most profitable route.  Thus, the acceptance of the request 
would be against Tunisair's interests.  He said a code share 
via another European city, such as London, Frankfurt, or 
Rome, would be more viable.  (Note:  The Northwest request 
may become moot given their absorption by Delta, which 
already has a code share with Air France on the Paris-Tunis 
route.) 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Tunisair's capabilities, according to Ben Miled, 
would not allow it to offer a direct flight to the United 
States until at least 2016, when it is set to acquire its 
first long courier aircraft from Airbus. 
 
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Comment 
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¶5. (SBU)  We take the attendance of this relatively 
high-ranking transportation official at a reception for the 
changeover of mid-level officers as a signal of GOT eagerness 
to get this issue on the table.  However, it is apparent the 
GOT is really interested in a direct flight, rather than 
negotiating an actual Open Skies agreement.  Even so, this 
represents an opening if Washington wishes to pursue the 
matter.  When Post re-transmits the draft model Open Skies 
text to the GOT, it could offer to arrange a meeting between 
relevant USG and GOT officials.  With overall unemployment 
mounting and the tourism sector poised to take a direct hit 
due to the economic crisis, the GOT is doing everything in 
its power - including working on more US tourism to Tunisia - 
to ameliorate the situation.  End Comment. 
Godec