US embassy cable - 03ROME1443

UNCLAS ROME 001443 
 
SIPDIS 
 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
TSA HDQRS FOR OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS 
 
SIPDIS 
BRUSSELS FOR TSA 

E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAIR, ECON, IT, AVIATION, FAA 
SUBJECT: BRITISH AIRWAYS FACING HEIGHTENED SECURITY 
MEASURES IN ITALY 
 
1.  (SBU)  SUMMARY.  DURING THE WEEK OF MARCH 24-27, ECONOFF 
SPOKE WITH THE BRITISH EMBASSY TRANSPORTATION OFFICER 
REGARDING HEIGHTENED SECURITY MEASURES IMPOSED ON BRITISH 
AIRWAYS BY THE TURIN AND MALPENSA AIRPORTS.  ALTHOUGH 
UNLIKELY, U.S. CARRIERS COULD FACE AN ADDITIONAL RESTRICTION 
BANNING CELL PHONES AND LAPTOPS IN THE CABIN.  BRITISH 
AIRWAYS REMAINS THE ONLY AIR CARRIER SUBJECT TO A BAN ON CELL 
PHONES AND UNCOMFORTABLE WITH ITS HEIGHTENED SECURITY STATUS 
IN ITALY.  END SUMMARY. 
 
2.  (SBU)  A BRITISH EMBASSY TRANSPORTATION OFFICER CALLED 
ECONOFF ON MARCH 24 TO INVESTIGATE WHETHER ITALIAN AIRPORT 
POLICE HAD ORDERED AMERICAN CARRIERS TO BAN LAPTOPS AND CELL 
PHONES IN THE CABIN, WHICH HAS NOT HAPPENED.  ACCORDING TO 
ENAC'S (ITALY'S CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY) NATIONAL SECURITY 
PROGRAM, SCHEDULE 4, PARAGRAPH 5.1.7, ELECTRONIC APPARATUS, 
INCLUDING CELL PHONES AND LAPTOP COMPUTERS, CAN BE BANNED 
FROM THE CABIN AS LONG AS THE AIR CARRIER HAS BEEN ELEVATED 
TO A "SENSITIVE CARRIER" SECURITY STATUS AND THE LOCAL 
AIRPORT SECURITY AUTHORITIES VOTE TO IMPLEMENT THIS 
RESTRICTION.  THE BRITISH OFFICIAL STATED THAT DESPITE THE 
FACT THAT AMERICAN, ISRAELI AND BRITISH AIR CARRIERS ARE 
LABELED "SENSITIVE CARRIERS," THE AIRPORT IN TURIN IS THE 
ONLY AIRPORT TO IMPLEMENT THIS REGULATION, AND AGAINST ONLY 
ONE AIR CARRIER - BRITISH AIRWAYS.  BRITISH AIRWAYS DOES NOT 
    BAN CELL PHONES AND LAPTOPS FROM ITS LONDON TO TURIN FLIGHTS. 
 THE OFFICIAL QUESTIONED WHETHER THIS MIGHT BE A PLOY ON THE 
PART OF THE LOCAL TORINESE AIRPORT AUTHORITY TO INCREASE 
ALITALIA'S COMPETITIVENESS.  HE WANTED TO RAISE THIS POINT 
WITH THE AMERICAN EMBASSY IN CASE SUCH MEASURES WERE 
SUMMARILY APPLIED TO AMERICAN CARRIERS. 
 
3.  (U)  ECONOFF THEN SPOKE WITH A DELTA REPRESENTATIVE 
FAMILIAR WITH SCHEDULE 4, PARAGRAPH 5.1.7 WHO STATED THAT TO 
THEIR KNOWLEDGE, THIS REGULATION HAS NOT BEEN IMPLEMENTED AT 
AIRPORTS WITH AN AMERICAN CARRIER PRESENCE, INCLUDING 
FIUMICINO (ROME), MALPENSA (MILAN) AND VENICE.  THE DELTA 
REPRESENTATIVE CLAIMED THAT PASSENGERS WOULD RIOT IF THIS BAN 
WERE TO BE IMPLEMENTED. 
 
4.  (SBU)  THE BRITISH OFFICIAL ALSO MENTIONED THAT MALPENSA 
AIRPORT AUTHORITIES HAVE ORDERED BRITISH AIRWAYS TO MOVE ITS 
TICKET COUNTERS NEXT TO THE AMERICAN CARRIERS TICKET 
COUNTERS.  WHILE THE TRANSPORTATION SECURITY AGENCY (TSA) 
REPRESENTATIVE IN ROME SUPPORTS THE GROUPING OF "SENSITIVE 
CARRIERS" BECAUSE OF INCREASED MEASURES TO SECURE THAT PART 
OF THE TERMINAL, THE BRITISH OFFICIAL EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT 
CONCENTRATING "COALITION" TICKET COUNTERS IN ONE AREA CREATES 
AN EASIER TARGET.  ADDITIONAL PROBING REVEALED THAT THIS 
OFFICIAL AND THE BRITISH AIRWAYS STAFF SIMPLY DO NOT WANT TO 
BE SITUATED NEXT TO THE AMERICAN CARRIERS AND DO NOT BELIEVE 
THAT THEIR "SENSITIVE CARRIER" STATUS IS JUSTIFIED. 
 
5.  (U)  OFFICIALS FROM ENAC EXPLAINED THAT THE AIRPORT 
SECURITY COMMITTEE, CHAIRED BY THE AIRPORT DIRECTOR, 
DETERMINES WHICH SECURITY MEASURES SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED AT 
    THAT PARTICULAR AIRPORT.  THEY CONFIRMED THAT MALPENSA HAS AN 
AREA DEDICATED TO "SENSITIVE CARRIERS" AND BRITISH AIRWAYS 
WAS ASKED TO MOVE TO THAT AREA TO BENEFIT FROM ADDITIONAL 
SECURITY MEASURES.  THE ENAC OFFICIALS SUGGESTED THAT THE 
AIRPORT SECURITY COMMITTEE IN TURIN MIGHT HAVE FELT THE NEED 
TO IMPLEMENT STRICTER SECURITY MEASURES THAN IS THE NORM AT 
OTHER AIRPORTS BUT WERE UNABLE TO OFFER ANY ADDITIONAL 
INSIGHT. 
 
6.  (SBU)  COMMENT.  THE BRITISH OFFICIAL HAS REQUESTED USG 
SUPPORT IN ADDRESSING THIS PROBLEM TO THE GOI.  WHILE WE ARE 
SYMPATHETIC AND WILLING TO PROVIDE ACCESS TO OUR GOI 
CONTACTS, WE REMAIN NEUTRAL IN THE FACE OF AN ISSUE ISOLATED 
TO HMG AND LOCALIZED AIRPORTS.  THE TSA REPRESENTATIVE IS IN 
AGREEMENT WITH, AND SUPPORTS, THE SECURITY MEASURES IN PLACE. 
 WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS SITUATION.  END COMMENT. 
SEMBLER 
 
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 2003ROME01443 - Classification: UNCLASSIFIED