VZCZCXRO1163
RR RUEHLH RUEHPW
DE RUEHLH #0183/01 2520641
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 090641Z SEP 09
FM AMCONSUL LAHORE
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4169
INFO RUEHIL/AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD 4873
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI 2148
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 1828
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0491
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 0197
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 0871
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
RHMFISS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC
RUMICEA/USCENTCOM INTEL CEN MACDILL AFB FL
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEFHLC/DEPT OF HOMELAND SECURITY WASHINGTON DC
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON DC
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE 5326

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 LAHORE 000183 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECON EAID EAIR ECIN PGOV PREL PK
SUBJECT: NON-STOP FLIGHTS FROM LAHORE TO NEW YORK LOOK LIKELY 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Lahore International Airport (LHE) may meet 
security standards required for direct flights to the United 
States, according to a Transportation Security Administration 
(TSA) observation team that conducted a survey at LHE August 
24-28.  The TSA team noted that LHE officials had acted on 
recommendations made by previous surveys, and responded quickly 
when the current team pointed out security gaps.  They found 
some lapses that U.S. assistance could address, but left 
impressed overall with the level of security at LHE.  End 
Summary. 
 
 
 
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BACKGROUND 
 
- - - 
 
 
 
¶2.  (SBU) A Transportation Security Administration (TSA) team 
assessed security operations at Lahore International Airport 
(LHE) August 24-28, as the initial step of re-certifying LHE for 
direct flights to the United States.  The team measured Lahore 
against the requirements of International Civil Aviation 
Organization (ICAO) Annex 17, noting that the airport had 
improved markedly after each of the previous three visits.  In 
2007 TSA had recommended that direct flights to the United 
States be authorized.  The Department of Homeland Security 
(DHS), however, withheld approval of direct flights pending a 
further agreement on sharing passenger information.  DHS has 
since de-linked the issues. 
 
 
 
- - - 
 
LHE DEMONSTRATES GOOD SECURITY PRACTICES . . . 
 
- - - 
 
 
 
¶3.  (SBU) In an August 28 de-brief to Post, the TSA team said 
they were generally pleased with what they saw at LHE.  The 
first survey had revealed non-functional x-ray machines and 
inadequate fencing, for example, but such problems no longer 
existed.  Pakistan's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) had pored 
through prior TSA reports and ensured all shortcomings were 
fixed.  TSA noted that perimeter security, baggage scanning 
equipment, and third-party certification of one layer of 
screening personnel had all improved.  Moreover, during the 
latest survey the CAA responded immediately to TSA suggestions. 
For instance, the team pointed out unacceptable brush growth 
along a security fence.  Within 72 hours LHE staff had cleared 
the brush, and discovered and repaired holes in the fence. 
Overall, the team assessed, LHE had demonstrated a commitment to 
uphold security practices on par with international airports. 
 
 
 
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. . . AND THE AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT - AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL 
 
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¶4.  (SBU) TSA's team tentatively identified areas for 
improvement in CAA's airport operations at the national level, 
not Lahore specifically.  The absence of statistically 
significant tests means that the Pakistan aviation authorities 
lack a formal risk assessment methodology, making it difficult 
for CAA to identify patterns and vulnerabilities.  In addition, 
CAA has only one qualified airport inspector for the entire 
country; TSA would like an inspector at each major airport.  The 
 
LAHORE 00000183  002 OF 002 
 
 
TSA team believed it was lack of resources, rather than lack of 
will, limiting CAA capacity. 
 
 
 
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MOU FOR RECRIPOCAL SECURITY OBSERVATION VISITS? 
 
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¶5.  (SBU) TSA said it hoped to secure a government-to-government 
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or a non-binding agreement 
allowing ongoing, reciprocal security observation visits at LHE 
and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York. 
TSA must conduct inspections at least once a year to ensure 
airports maintain ICAO standards.  Other host country 
authorities have obstructed or delayed visits in the absence of 
such agreements.  An MOU would help assure ongoing access to LHE 
if/when direct flights to JFK begin. 
 
 
 
- - - 
 
LOCAL POLITICAL, COMMERCIAL INTEREST IN DIRECT FLIGHTS 
 
- - - 
 
 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The August 30 edition of the Daily Times reported on 
the generally positive survey results, apparently based on 
conversations with CAA personnel.  On August 31, Punjab Chief 
Minister Shahbaz Sharif told Principal Officer that direct 
flights from Lahore to New York would ease Punjab's 
accessibility and build business ties at a critical time for 
Pakistan-American relations. 
 
 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Comment: With over 60 percent of Pakistan's population 
residing in Punjab, direct flights from Lahore would be a vote 
of confidence in a city that suffered a few high-profile 
terrorist attacks in early 2009.  Post agreed with the TSA 
team's assessment that providing capacity-building resources to 
the CAA would help maintain the current high security standards 
observed at LHE, and is happy to facilitate future activity in 
this regard.  We understand TSA's concern about access to 
conduct future annual inspections, but have not seen evidence 
that they will face difficulty in the future here. An agreement 
or MOU that stresses the reciprocal nature of these security 
observation visits should make such a document palatable to the 
GOP, but we wish to avoid linking the start of direct flights to 
an agreement on reciprocal access. 
CONROY