US embassy cable - 04ACCRA1583

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ACCRA 001583 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT PLEASE PASS TO FAA AND DOT 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAIR, GH 
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON GHANA AIRWAYS CRISIS 
 
REF: STATE 160345 
 
Summary 
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1. (SBU) DCM, EconChief and FAA Regional Rep Ed Jones met 
July 27-29 with the Transport Minister and Ghana Civil 
Aviation Authority (GCAA) and Ghana Airways (GA) officials to 
discuss the recent FAA and Department of Transportation (DOT) 
suspension of GA's service to the U.S.  Emboffs also 
presented reftel points re FAA's request to conduct a 
reassessment of GCAA safety oversight (reported septel). 
While many passengers, including Amcits, are stranded in 
Ghana and the U.S., GA management has focused more on 
deflecting blame than resolving this situation.  GCAA and GoG 
officials also appear to be in denial.  Post will keep up the 
pressure on GA, GCAA and GoG officials to 1) deal with the 
crisis, and 2) overhaul safety procedures and oversight.  End 
Summary 
 
Sequence of Events 
------------------ 
2. (U) After months of warnings over safety concerns, FAA 
informed GA and GCAA on July 23 that it had barred one of 
GA's DC-10s from flying into the U.S.  GA disobeyed this 
order, flying the aircraft into and out of the U.S. on July 
24 and in again on July 26, whereupon the FAA grounded the 
aircraft.  On July 27, DOT notified GA that it had no 
authority to operate to the U.S. because it had allowed its 
Economic Authority (equivalent to operating license) to lapse. 
 
Post Message to GCAA and Ghana Airways 
-------------------------------------- 
3. (SBU) Following consultations with DOT, Post delivered the 
following message to GA and GoG officials:  GA allowed its 
Economic Authority (EA) to lapse and has been operating U.S. 
routes for roughly 2 weeks without this authority.  Before 
the DOT can reauthorize the EA, it must review GA's ability 
to provide service to the U.S. in compliance with DOT and FAA 
regulations.  DOT will assess GA's financial capacity and 
will consult with FAA on safety issues.  FAA's ongoing 
concerns about GoG safety oversight and its decision to bar 
the DC-10 will complicate the DOT's assessment.  Post also 
reemphasized that this was a separate (albeit linked) issue 
from the FAA reassessment of GCAA safety oversight (reftel). 
 
Stranded Passengers 
------------------- 
4. (SBU) Post initially received numerous inquiries from 
Amcits stranded in Ghana and contacts throughout Ghanaian 
society, trying to get information and help colleagues, 
friends and family.  Ghana Airways is reportedly not 
answering its telephones and not providing helpful advice to 
increasingly unhappy ticket holders.  The number of calls has 
dwindled in the last 24 hours, and we assume ticket holders 
are creating their own solutions. 
 
5. (SBU) Post is responding to Amcit inquiries that we 
understand GA is exploring alternate means of transport (on 
wet-leased aircraft) and ticket holders should continue to 
try to contact Ghana Air and monitor news announcements. 
However, we are also advising them to investigate other 
options, as it is unclear how quickly GA will be able to 
arrange replacement flights.  (Comment:  We understand DOT 
and State are developing guidance for use with stranded Amcit 
passengers.  End Comment). 
 
Ghana Air comments 
------------------ 
6. (SBU) GA officials were unfamiliar with the Economic 
Authority (or operating license), and asked whether the DOT 
had proactively invalidated the authority (because of safety 
concerns), if the DOT had notified the airline that the EA 
would expire (and whether it should have), the duration of 
the EA, what kind of paperwork was required, and the 
procedure to obtain a re-issuance of the EA.  They also 
inquired how they could work around the lack of the EA in 
order to bring back passengers stranded in the U.S., 
including whether they could wet-lease an aircraft. 
 
7. (SBU) Post clarified that GA was responsible for allowing 
the EA to lapse.  Post also urged them to deal on these 
issues directly with the DOT, especially related to finding 
alternative transport for stranded passengers.  (Comment:  We 
understand from DOT/FAA that GA is not working to resolve the 
passenger situation as aggressively or creatively as they 
should.  End Comment) 
 
GA and GCAA comments about flights 
---------------------------------- 
8. (SBU) GCAA and GA officials argued that they did not 
receive FAA notification early enough to cancel the July 24 
and 26 flights to the U.S.  GCAA's Director of Safety 
Regulations, Edward Akohene, stated that the FAA notified him 
by telephone on July 23 and was told to expect written 
confirmation via fax.  He says he waited until late that 
evening and also worked over the weekend, but never saw the 
fax.  GA's Head of Flight Operations, Capt. Johnny Yamoah, 
also claims he did not see or hear of the FAA letters until 
Monday morning (July 26), after the GA flight had already 
departed Accra.  (Comment: Akohene says he contacted GA on 
July 23 to alert them of the ban.  Apparently, neither GCAA 
nor GA officials considered the verbal order not to fly an 
unsafe aircraft into the U.S. sufficient to actually cancel 
the flight.  End Comment) 
9. (SBU) Akohene and Yamoah also claimed that GA safety 
officials did a "walk around" with FAA officials after the 
plane landed on Monday, July 26, and the plane appeared to be 
in good shape, with no obvious corrosion or leakage.  Yamoah 
provided a letter from the U.S. leasing company, BCI, 
claiming that the appropriate safety checks had been made 
(emailed to State, DOT, FAA). (Comment:  Post will deliver 
DOT/FAA points refuting these allegations, and clarifying 
that FAA has had concerns about the banned DC-10 for months. 
The UK banned this same airplane in early June for similar 
reasons.  End Comment) 
 
Press Reaction 
-------------- 
10. (SBU) Local media have reported the facts relatively 
accurately, relying heavily on DOT's press release.  Radio 
coverage, especially on the call-in shows, have been highly 
critical of the GoG and Ghana Airways management.  So far, we 
have not heard negative comments or criticism directed at the 
U.S.  GA and GoG officials have obliquely placed the blame 
for the crisis on the FAA, repeating the above allegations 
that the FAA fax was late and the leasing company endorsed 
the safety inspection report. 
 
Comment 
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11. (SBU) Post is in close contact with GA and GCAA, and is 
strongly urging them to deal with the passenger crisis first, 
and then work with the DOT to find a way to renew GA's 
Economic Authority.  Post will emphasize in meetings over the 
next few days that it is incumbent on GA and GCAA to assume 
responsibility for disobeying FAA orders to ground the DC-10 
and explain what remedial steps they will take to ensure this 
never happens again.  Also, the GCAA and GoG need to take 
necessary measures to assure aviation safety, especially in 
light of the upcoming safety FAA reassessment (reftel). 
Unfortunately, GA management is currently spending more time 
avoiding blame than addressing the problems. 
 
12. (SBU) Ghana Air is a sensitive political issue, made more 
sensitive by election year pressures.  This latest action is 
big news here.  We expect GA's continuing crisis to get a lot 
of press and public attention in the short term, and hope 
that pressure from the Embassy and Washington will make GoG, 
GCAA and GA officials realize that this crisis is an 
opportunity to overhaul Ghana Air.  Business as usual will 
likely result in the death of the airline.  End Comment. 
YATES