US embassy cable - 04BOGOTA4888

UNCLAS BOGOTA 004888 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAIR, CO 
SUBJECT: COLOMBIAN CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY TO VISIT FAA 
 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
1. (U) Summary. Sub-Director from Colombia's Civil Aviation 
Authority (CAA) plans to visit FAA in Miami and Washington to 
discuss recent FAA inspection. The GOC was not pleased with 
the results of the inspection, and is taking steps to comply 
with FAA recommendations.  End Summary. 
 
2. (SBU) In late April, FAA inspectors traveled to Bogota to 
perform follow-up inspections of Avianca and Vertical 
Aviation repair shops.  FAA inspectors were satisfied with 
Avianca's repair shop but prohibited Vertical Aviation's shop 
to work on U.S. registered products because it failed 
inspection, (Vertical Aviation works on Bell helicopters). 
FAA will re-inspect Vertical Aviation in late June.  The FAA 
officials also briefed the CAA on deficiencies found in the 
CAA's inspection program.  FAA inspectors believe that 
training and resources are insufficient for CAA inspectors. 
The FAA also noticed that inspectors were not enforcing 
regulations due to fear of lawsuits by airline operators. 
FAA notes that CAA authorities are neither supporting CAA 
inspectors with legal support nor are they following all of 
FAA inspectors' recommendations. 
 
3. (SBU) Econoff met with CAA Subdirector Colonel Carlos 
Ramirez regarding the FAA inspection.  Col Ramirez privately 
told econoff he was upset with the findings because he 
believed that disgruntled CAA inspectors negatively 
influenced the FAA inspection due to salary disputes. 
Regarding training, Col Ramirez told econoff the CAA recently 
hired 49 new contractors and have future training planned. 
He stated resources, such as computers and internet access, 
must be shared by contractors, especially due to the 
increased workforce.  Col Ramirez denied a lack of support to 
CAA inspectors and said if the CAA inspectors feared reprisal 
from the airlines, they should ask CAA directors to sign off 
on their inspection results. 
 
4. (SBU) Comment:  CAA authorities were caught off guard and 
not prepared for the FAA's review of the CAA inspection 
program.  To address the FAA's concerns, Col Ramirez plans to 
hire inspectors on short-term-but-renewable performance-based 
contracts due to problems associated with current disgruntled 
inspectors, whom the CAA cannot fire. 
WOOD