G.F. 323
0003230
CONFIDENTIAL #
機密
Record of Meeting with the Minister of Aerospace and Shipping at Government House, Hong Kong, on Saturday, 24th March,
1973
S.A.S. Landing Rights in Hong Kong
Present:
H.E. the Governor
Mr. Michael Heseltine, M.P.
Sir Hugh Norman-Walker
Mr. C.P. Haddon-Cave
Mr. J. Cater
Mr. D.H. Jordan
Mr. A. Fletcher
Mr. T.R. Thomson
Mr. D.J.C. Jones
Mr. A.J. Lane
Mr. G.A. Higgins on
Minister of Aerospace & Shipping Colonial Secretary
Financial Secretary
Secretary for Information
Director of Commerce & Industry
Director of Marine
Director of Civil Aviation
Deputy Economic Secretary
Private Secretary to Minister
Private Secretary to Governor
The Governor said that he had seen
Mr. Stainton of BOAC on 17th March and explained to him the pressure on the Hong Kong Government to obtain landing rights for S.A.S. Mr. Stainton had said that S.A.S. had proposed a direct concession without any reciprocal rights. This principle was unacceptable to BOAC, and, equally important, one flight a week would lead to a demand for more flights. This provision of an alternative route to Europe, and not just a feeder service to Scandinavia, would be damaging to BOAC. The Governor said he had told Mr. Stainton that it was becoming very difficult to justify to interested parties in Hong Kong H.M.G.'s refusal to grant landing rights to S.A.S. They could not be convinced either that this refusal was not bad for Hong Kong's trade relations with Scandinavia, or that the damage to BOAC would be great. He said that if the D.T.I. agreed to one flight a week this would take a lot of heat out of what was in danger of becoming a difficult political issue.
CONFIDENTIAL
機密