US embassy cable - 02AMMAN5331

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 AMMAN 005331 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAIR, PTER, ETRD, IS, JO 
SUBJECT: PEACE AIRPORT REVIVED? ISRAELI-JORDANIAN OFFICIALS 
CONFER 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY 
 
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SUMMARY 
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1.  (SBU) On the heels of an Israeli government decision to 
prohibit jets from using Eilat Airport, officials from the 
Jordanian and Israeli Civil Aviation authorities, Israeli 
Ministry of Transportation, Eilat and Aqaba Airport 
officials, and the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority 
(ASEZA) Chief Commissioner met September 11 to discuss 
options regarding the use of Aqaba International Airport for 
previously Eilat-bound traffic.  Although the first meeting 
was, in the words of one participant, a "brainstorming 
session", the plan could lead to the revival of the concept 
of a "Peace Airport" on the Israeli-Jordanian border and 
would be a shot in the arm for regional peacemaking efforts. 
END SUMMARY 
 
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AN IDEAL SOLUTION 
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2.  (SBU) Hanna Najjar, Director of the Jordanian Civil 
Aviation Authority (CAA) filled us in on the September 11 
meeting that included Director General Amos Amir of the 
Israeli Civil Aviation Authority, the head of Israeli CAA 
International Relations, Arkia Israel Airlines CEO Israel 
Borovich, Omar al-Manha, Director of the Aqaba International 
Airport, ASEZA Chief Commissioner Akel Biltaji, Robert 
Burnett, Project Manager for Bechtel, and Najjar.  Najjar 
told us that, under pressure from the Israeli Green Party, 
the Israeli Government has decided to prohibit jets from 
landing at Eilat Airport effective November 1.  Israeli 
Greens have long called for closing the airport, located in 
the center of the city of 48,000, as an environmental, 
safety, and noise hazard. 
 
3.  (SBU) Najjar said the decision prompted the Israeli 
officials to return to the "Peace Airport" idea: the use of 
Aqaba International Airport, just on the other side of the 
Israeli-Jordanian border and only 6 km from downtown Eilat, 
as an alternative landing site for flights of the Israeli 
domestic carrier Arkia.  (Note: The eventual building of a 
joint Eilat-Aqaba airport, known as the Peace Airport, was 
outlined in the 1994 Jordanian-Israeli Peace Treaty.  A 
four-month trial period in 1997, in which some Israeli 
flights landed at Aqaba, failed due to insufficient numbers 
of passengers and lack of interest on the part of El Al, the 
Israeli state airline, according to al-Manha.  This idea 
differs from the original Peace Airport scheme in that Aqaba 
would only be used, at least initially, by domestic Israeli 
Arkia flights. End Note.)  Aqaba International can 
accommodate any size aircraft, having taken 747s, C-130s, 
Tupelovs, and even the Concorde.  The grounds of the airport 
itself border Israeli territory.  Ouvda Airport, which now 
serves Eilat with all international service, is an 
unattractive alternative at 45 minutes away. 
 
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WHAT WE CAN DO ONCE WE PUT OUR HEADS TOGETHER 
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4.  (SBU) The brainstorming session, said Najjar, produced a 
number of options.  Busses could take passengers directly to 
the Aqaba-Eilat border crossing.  A new apron, to be used 
exclusively for Arkia flights, could be constructed adjacent 
to the Israeli side of the runway with a short road running 
directly to Israeli territory through airport property. 
Alternately, the airport boundary, which currently runs along 
the road to the border crossing, could be extended to include 
the existing road and the crossing.  (In which case, the 
Aqaba authorities would be prepared to build a new road for 
ordinary traffic.  In any event, all the ideas foresee the 
direct transfer of domestic Israeli passengers from the 
airport to Israeli territory without border or other 
controls.) 
 
5.  (SBU) While the talks, which included a briefing for the 
Israelis on projects and progress in the ASEZ, went well, 
Najjar said the Israelis agreed to take the ideas back to 
Israel.  Al-Manha was enthusiastic.  He said it was an 
"excellent" meeting, and that his Israeli colleagues, whom he 
said he speaks to regularly, believe this to be a "great 
opportunity".  Al-Manha said, "This could be an excellent 
example for the international community of what we can do 
once we put our heads together." 
 
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COMMENT 
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6.  (SBU) In the fashion of QIZs and the recent joint 
agreement to cooperate on Dead Sea environmental issues, a 
revival of the Peace Airport, in whatever form, would be yet 
another instance of Jordanian-Israeli cooperation.  Once 
Israeli security concerns are addressed, the project, in its 
most basic form, needs little investment in time or money to 
move forward.  We believe success in this limited venture 
should be encouraged, and may lead to a re-examination of the 
original Peace Airport plan. 
 
 
GNEHM