US embassy cable - 03AMMAN4023

UNCLAS AMMAN 004023 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
FOR AMBASSADOR BREMER FROM AMBASSADOR GNEHM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAIR, IZ, JO 
SUBJECT: AMMAN-BAGHDAD AIR SERVICE 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED. 
 
1.  (SBU)  We understand that CPA is planning to reopen 
Baghdad International Airport to limited commercial air 
service around July 15 and that it is currently analyzing 
requests to provide air service in and out of Baghdad.  Royal 
Jordanian Airlines (RJ) CEO Samer Majali, who recently met 
with CPA officials in Baghdad, confirmed to Ambassador Gnehm 
June 30 that RJ remains ready to operate a daily 
Amman-Baghdad-Amman flight with onward connections to the 
United States and Europe as soon as possible.  RJ is prepared 
at a later point to run two daily flights in and out of BIAP. 
 
2.  (SBU)  As the private sector, humanitarian agencies, and 
the U.S. and foreign governments are realizing, Jordan is the 
natural bridge between central Iraq and the outside world. 
RJ operated flights to Baghdad with UN approval during the 
sanctions era, and most Iraqi and foreign officials, 
businesspeople and journalists have become accustomed to 
traveling to Iraq via Amman.  One reason is that the 
practicalities of operating out of Jordan versus the Gulf are 
much simpler:  Americans and other foreign travelers can 
obtain visas at the airport and logistics, such as air 
freight, warehousing, and high quality hotel rooms, are less 
expensive and in many cases work better here.  An indication 
of the demand is the several thousands of travelers per day 
who spend two days and a night at the border braving the 
dangerous road between Amman and Baghdad.  Many, such as 
truckers, would still travel by road, but many would much 
prefer to fly. 
 
3.  (SBU)  From the point of view of U.S.-Jordan relations 
and U.S. regional political and economic objectives, 
establishing an air link to Iraq via Jordan would help center 
Jordan as the model for open economic policies in the region. 
 This central role Jordan plays in our regional strategy was 
made repeatedly made by Secretary Powell, Ambassador 
Zoellick, and other senior U.S. officials during the World 
Economic Forum meetings.  In addition, helping position 
Jordan as a regional air hub could have significant economic 
benefits for an country in which we have and are investing 
large amounts of economic assistance. 
 
4.  (SBU)   RJ should be able to satisfy practical 
requirements for operating into BIAP.  The airline was 
approved by TSA last summer to originate direct flights to 
the United States from Amman.  TSA's annual review of RJ's 
security procedures is scheduled for later this month.  All 
RJ flights carry armed sky marshals.  In addition, the 
Jordanian Civil Aviation Authority has revised air routes 
between Amman and Iraq to avoid the previous need to overfly 
Syria.  Jordanian radar coverage extends 220 miles from Queen 
Alia airport, i.e. approximately 12 minutes flying time into 
Iraqi airspace.  After that, radar coverage is not fully in 
place until the Baghdad area, but flights entering from 
eastern Jordan are able to maintain positive VHF radio 
contact with controllers.  Alternatively, RJ is ready to 
overfly southern Iraq (with only a small additional flight 
time) until a complete ATC system is in place.  The Jordanian 
CAA is discussing these issues with the CENTAF ATC cell in 
Doha. 
 
5.  (SBU)  An incidental benefit of a Baghdad-Amman link 
would be to facilitate U.S. Government travel to Iraq.  Amman 
is served by several major European carriers that have 
codeshares with U.S. carriers (Delta, United, Northwest).  If 
RJ succeeds in its current effort to find a U.S. codeshare 
partner, USG travelers would be able to fly non-stop from New 
York or Chicago to Amman, with a one-hour onward flight to 
Baghdad. 
 
6.  (SBU)  From our perspective, we do not see a downside to 
having RJ as one of the foreign airlines able to operate to 
Baghdad.  The airline and the Jordanians are ready and 
willing to do a good job.  Approval of RJ's request would 
seem to be in the best interests of Iraqis, Jordan and the 
United States.  If there are downsides, please let us know so 
that we can follow-up with the Jordanians. 
GNEHM