US embassy cable - 03AMMAN4535

UNCLAS AMMAN 004535 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
CPA FOR HATFIELD 
DEPT FOR EB/TRA/BYERLY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAIR, ETRD, EINV, JO 
SUBJECT: USG PERSONNEL DISADVANTAGED BY AMMAN-BAGHDAD AIR 
PROTOCOLS 
 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED; PLEASE HANDLE ACCORDINGLY 
1.  ACTION RECOMMENDATION AT PARA 6. 
 
2.  (SBU) SUMMARY: Personnel from various U.S. and other 
governments' agencies have expressed concern over a shortage 
of capacity on flights into and out of Baghdad via Amman. 
Restrictions on the use of the two carriers currently 
operating under CPA mandate have led to USG passengers being 
assigned a low priority, creating a bottleneck in travel and 
forcing  personnel to travel more dangerous overland routes 
in some cases.  Royal Jordanian, which is permitted to 
provide humanitarian support on a case-by-case basis, is not 
likely to offer additional slots in Amman to competing 
carriers to increase capacity given its desire to be the 
primary carrier, humanitarian or otherwise, on the route.  An 
agreement that permits an additional carrier to operate an 
Amman-Baghdad route that gives priority to personnel 
traveling on USG business appears to be the optimum solution. 
 END SUMMARY 
 
3.  (SBU)  Two carriers currently provide regular 
humanitarian-related charter air service into Baghdad: Air 
Serv, a non-profit carrier, funded through USAID; and a UN 
charter.  Air Serv offers once-daily service six days per 
week, while the UN operates two flights per day five days per 
week.  RJ is permitted to offer humanitarian support flights 
to Baghdad on a case-by-case basis.  Commercial air service 
to Baghdad is not yet viable due to security concerns. 
 
4.  (SBU)  Post MAP and Econ sections have been made aware of 
recent difficulties USG personnel face when attempting to 
travel via air to or from Baghdad on official business. 
Under a grant protocol it has with USAID, Air Serv has three 
levels of priority for its Amman-Baghdad-Amman service: USAID 
personnel have precedence, followed by international and 
other non-governmental humanitarian organizations, and 
finally "others qualified", a catch-all category that 
includes journalists, business people with some humanitarian 
link, and government officials.  However, Air Serv capacity 
is presently only 14-20 seats per flight, and they fill up 
quickly.  The UN flights have similar priority considerations 
for UN officials and NGOs, leaving little room for anyone 
else.  As national carrier and previously-exclusive operator 
of the Amman-Baghdad route, RJ is unwilling to offer 
additional slots at its Amman hub to Air Serv, the UN, or any 
other carrier it sees as competition, either current or 
future, for its service to Baghdad. 
 
5.  (SBU) Consequently, USG officials and other diplomatic 
personnel have few alternatives.  (Note: While an overland 
route from Amman to Baghdad is available and oft-traveled, 
the journey can potentially be dangerous.  A MAP contact told 
us that a group of Germans, including the German Charge for 
Baghdad, were attacked on the Amman-Baghdad road last week 
and had to be rescued.  END NOTE)  Many missions are delayed 
or scrapped entirely, due to the inability of officials to 
fit into the priority categories. 
 
6.  (SBU) RECOMMENDATION: As the current set-up does not 
allow for needed access to Baghdad for USG and other 
governments' personnel, it would be in our interests to 
support approval for a charter arrangement to accommodate the 
USG/diplomatic community's needs.  Options that have been 
discussed include: securing GOJ approval for additional Air 
Serv flights, giving priority to USG personnel; arranging for 
RJ charter service for USG and diplomatic passengers; or 
supporting a charter service from a third location, such as 
Aqaba or Cyprus.  (NOTE: Under an MOU reached with Aqaba 
Special Economic Zone Chief Commissioner Akel Biltaji, a 
private charter service is currently operating out of Aqaba, 
out of RJ's reach.  END NOTE)  MAP officials at post are 
ready to work with local authorities at both ends to make 
this happen, pending Department guidance.  END COMMENT 
HALE