THE DISCUSSIONS HAVE BEEN RELAXED AND INFORMAL THROUGHOUT AND
HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED WITHOUT ANY PRESS PUBLICITY, THEY HAVE
COVERED THE WHOLETANGE OF OPTIONS FOR CHANGES IN AUSTRALI AN
INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION POLICY AS THEY WOULD AFFECT UK/ AUSTRALIAN RELATIONS, INCLUDING VARIOUS OPTIONS FOR LOW-COST TRAVEL BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND THE UK, RATHER THAN FOCUSING ON LAKER'S PROPOSALS TO INAUGURATE REGULAR CHARTER SERVICES.
4. THE GENERAL SITUATION WITH REGARD TO THE REVIEW IS THAT THE
STUDY GROUP (WHICH IS WORKING UNDER THE GENERAL DIRECTION OF A STEERING GROUP CHAIRED BY ROWLAND) HAS NOW LARGELY COMPLETED
ITS FACT-FINDING AND IS APPROACHING THE STAGE OF ANALYSIS AND PREPARATION OF THE REPORT, HOWEVER, THEY DID NOT RECEIVE ORAL
EVIDENCE FROM BRITISH AIRWAYS UNTIL YESTERDAY ANBRARE DUE
TO TAKE ORAL EVIDENCE FROM PAN AM TO-DAY AND FROM LAKER NEXT
WEEK. THEIR TIMESCALE IS EXTREMELY TIGHT, SINCE THEY ARE UNDER FIRM
INSTRUCTIONS TO GET THEIR REPORT INTO MR NIXON'S HANDS BY 31 MARCH,
THIS REPORT WILL CONTAIN A STATEMENT OF THE OPTIONS AVAILABLE, INCLUDING THE PROS AND CONS OF EACH, BUT WILL NOT CONTAIN
SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS. IT IS ENVISAGED THAT MR NIXON WILL
CHOSE BETWEEN THE OPTIONS PRESENTED TO HIM AND WILL THEN MAKE HIS
RECOMMENDATIONS TO CABINET. ROWLAND SAID HE WAS HOPING FOR FINAL
DECISIONS BY THE END OF APRIL: BUT HALTON WAS LESS OPTIMISTIC IN
HIS TETE A TETE WITH ROGERS AND MR NIXON EMPHASISED THAT,
ALTHOUGH HE WAS AWARE OF THE PRESSURE FOR QUICK DECISION, HE DID NOT
INTEND TO BE RUSHED.
5. THE OPTIONS UNDER CONSIDERATION ARE
A. CONTINUATION OF THE PRESENT SYSTEM BUT WITH SOME QUOTE FINE TUNING UNQUOTE.
B. AN OPEN SKIES POLICY.
C. A DELIBERATE REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF COUNTRIES WITH WHICH AUSTRALIA HAS AIR SERVICES AGREEMENTS, WITH A VIEW TO CHANNELLING TRAFFIC ON TO THE MAIN ROUTES. THIS MIGHT BE ACHIEVED BY SERVING NOTICE OF TERMINATION OF ALL EXISTING ASAS AND RE-NEGOTIATING AGREEMENTS WITH THE COUNTRIES WITH WHICH AUSTRALIA CONSIDERED IT
NECESSARY TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THEM.
D. MAINTAINING EXISTING BILATERAL AGREEMENTS BUT ACHIEVING MUCH THE SAME RESULTS AS UNDER (C) ABOVE BY EITHER
1. DELATING SOME 5TH FREEDOM RIGHTS OR
2.
ADOPTING FARES ON THE LINES OF THE QUOTE SUPER APEX UNQUOTE
PESOS Wi
ITH BORSAYSHRED HAVE "ERY MEYVEDBELUD - HAVE BEEN PUT FORWARD BY (QANTAS FOR CONFINING TRAFFIC TO THE 3RD/4TH FREEDOM CARRIERS OR
3. ADOPTING A COMBINATION OF (2) ABOVE PLUS THE ESTABLISHMENT OF END-TO-END CHARTER SERVICES FROM WHICH THE CARRIERS OF THIRD
COUTOLES MOULD RE