(134392) Dd. 737115 750M 4/70 Hw.
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Registry No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret.
Secret.
Confidential.
Restricted. Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
.In Confidence
RESTRICTED
DRAFT
To:-
Type 1 +
From
RIT Cromartie
Telephone No. & Ext.
Department
It is true that traffic rights at Hong Kong
Airport represent a valuable bargaining counter in
(in HMG's opinion international air services negotiations, but their
Your Fund value is exaggerated in paragraph 9 of the paper.
In any case Hong Kong's own airline Cathay Pacific
Airways, which makes a valuable contribution to the
economy and communications of the Colony, are
Collaimed fo entirely dependent on traffic rights foreign
countries in exchange for rights from Hong Kong.
The adoption of an "open skies" policy would not,
therefore, be consistent with Cathay Pacific's
Могли, Movem, although
interests. the frequency and capacity of the long
^
haul services calling at Hong Kong has increased very
rapidly in recent years, but some of the carriers
concerned have not increased their use of Hong Kong
as much as they already have the right to do,
probably because the number of passengers per
aeroplane they pick up and set down at Hong Kong
remains fairly low. It seems unlikely therefore that
the policy of controlling traffic rights and
exchanging them with other Governments is working, in all
overall terms, against Hong Kong's dual interest in
encouraging the growth of air traffic at Kai Tak
airport and in supporting its own carrier.