167
OR $15 FRIORITY
CYLER CAT A
FM HONG KONG 280355Z
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
HKK KULL RECEIVER
LAMAR 1978
INDEX
DESK OFFICER
PA
TO PRIORITY F C O TELNO 233 OF 28 FEBRUARY 1978 NO
INFO BEIRUT, CANBERRA (FOR ROGERS).
YOUR TELNO 134: UK/LEBANON AIR SERVICES.
3.
See /131
133
WE ARE UNCERTAIN WHETHER THE TRAFFIC RIGHTS WHICH THE LEBANESE NOW
SEEK FROM YOU ON THE PROPOSED ROUTE REMAIN THE SAME AS THOSE
TMA ORIGINALLY ADVISED US THEY REQUIRED. THE LAST OPERATING PERMIT
RELATING TO THIS ROUTE WHICH WE HAVE WAS ISSUED TO TMA ON 31 MARCH
1977 AND LIMITED RIGHTS TO 2 X 707 ALL-CARGO AIRCRAFT A WEEK ON THE ROUTE BEIRUT/BOM/BKK/HKG/TPE/OSA/T YO/ANCHORAGE/NEW YORK/ AMSTERDAM/BEIRUT WITH RIGHTS AT HONG KONG RESTRICTED TO SECTORS BEIRUT/HKG: BKK/HKG: HKG/TYO AND HKG/NEW YORK EASTBOUND ONLY.
WITH THE LOSS OF TRANS-PACIFIC RIGHTS, TMA HONG KONG ORIGINALLY
ASKED US FOR THREE WEEKLY SERVICES WITH 3RD AND 4TH FREEDOM RIGHTS
BETWEEN HONG KONG AND BEIRUT WESTBOUND ONLY BUT SUBSEQUENTLY
REQUESTED SIMILAR RIGHTS ON EASTBOUND SERVICES. WE WERE ABLE TO
ACCEPT THE PROPOSED OPERATION ON THE BASIS OF THREE BUT PREFERABLY
TWO PALLETS PER FLIGHT IN VIEW OF THE BENEFIT TO HONG KONG OF
DIRECT SERVICES TO BEIRUT AND BEARING IN MIND THAT TMA WOULD NO LONGER BE ENTITLED TO CARRY ON CPA'S BKK/HKG/TYO SECTORS, ALTHOUGH
SOME DILUTION OF THEIR GULF CARGO MIGHT ENSUE.
2. EVEN THOUGH TMA'S HONG KONG REQUIREMENTS MAY STILL BE LIMITED
TO 3RD AND 4TH FREEDOMS, THE PROPOSED ADDITION OF POINTS DUBAI, MUSCAT, ABU DHABI, KUALA LUMPUR AND SINGAPORE WOULD INTRODUCE ADDITIONAL CAPACITY ON CPA'S REGIONAL NETWORK, AND BETWEEN THE GULF AND CPA'S REGIONAL POINTS, WHICH WOULD INEVITABLY BE DAMAGING TO CPA WITHOUT ANY COMPENSATING ADVANTAGES TO HONG KONG
INTERESTS. THE POSITION WOULD BE AGGRAVATED BY TMA'S PROCLIVITY
TO REWRITE OR SPLIT AIR WAY-BILLS IN ORDER TO CARRY CARGO ON
SECTORS FOR WHICH THEY HAVE NO RIGHTS. WE COULD NOT THEREFORE
AGREE TO ROUTE POINTS OTHER THAN THOSE LISTED IN THE PERMIT OF
31ST MARCH 1977 AND ON THE BASIS THAT HONG KONG RIGHTS SHALL BE
RESTRICTED TO 3RD AND 4TH CARGO ONLY BETWEEN HONG KONG AND BEIRUT.
15. AS
Y