S 1350
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 270936Z NOV 78
TO IMMEDIATE PORT MORESBY
TELEGRAM NUMBER ALLOT 5 OF 27 NOVEMBER
INFO PRIORITY D O T.
673;
DA HKK 184/1
RECENED IN REGISTRY NO 51
2 8 NOV 1978
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
No
RUG CRY
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AS PROMISED I SPOKE THIS MORNING TO DCA HONG KONG ABOUT THE FIVE SERVICES (THREE IN DECEMBER AND TWO IN JANUARY) WHICH ANG HAS IN VARIOUS FORMS SINCE JULY 1978 APPLIED TO DCA HONG KONG FOR PERMISSION TO OPERATE IN DADDITION TO ANG'S PERMITTED ONCE-WEEKLY
SCHEDULED SERVICE TO HONG KONG.
2. DCA HONG KONG TOLD ME THAT ON FRIDAY 24 NOVEMBER HE HAD GIVEN
INSTRUCTIONS FOR THESE APPLICATIONS TO BE REFUSED ON THE GROUNDS THAT, THOUGH THEY ARE ALLEGED TO BE AFFINITY CHARTERS, THEY CLEARLY
DO NOT CONFIRM WITH THE CONDITIONS FOR SUCH OPERATIONS, AS I
MENTIONED TO YOU WHEN I WAS IN PORT MORESBY, THESE SERVICES ARE BEING ADVERTISED AS EXTRA SCHEDULED OPERATIONS, THE TICKETS ARE
BEING SOLD INDIVIDUALLY AND THE FARES ARE THOSE USED ON ANG'S
NORMAL SCHEDULED SERVICES. I HAVE SINCE DISCOVERED (THOUGH THIS
IS A LEGALISTIC POINT WHICH I WOULD NOT THINK WORTH MENTIONING
PUBLICLY) THAT ANG'S CERTIFICATE OF COMPETENCE AS ISSUED TO THEM BY DCA, PNG, RELATES ONLY TO SCHEDULED SERVICES. AT ALL EVENTS, ANG REPRESENTATIVES WHOM I SAW IN PORT MORESBY ON 24 NOVEMBER (BERGDORF AND MITRA) UNEQUIVOCABLY CONFIRMED THAT THEIR INTENDED
SERVICES WOULD BE IN THE SCHEDULED CATEGORY.
3. IT IS TRUE THAT ON 11 OCTOBER ANG DID EVENTUALLY FORMALLY REQUEST THEM TO BE CLEARED AS AFFINITY CHARTERS, BUT THEY ALLEGED TO ME THAT THIS ACTION HAD BEEN TAKEN ON ADVICE FROM SOMEONE IN
THE HONG KONG DIRECTORATE. THIS ALLEGATION WAS RELAYED THROUGH THE ANG REPRESENTATIVE IN HONG KONG AND MR MITRA (BOTH OF WHOM STRIKE ME AS MEN WILLING TO MISINTERPRET IN THEIR OWN FAVOUR
WHATEVER THEY MAY HEAR) AND I PERSONALLY AM SURE THAT THE
HONG KONG DIRECTORATE WOULD HAVE DONE NO MORE THAN CONFIRM THAT
AN APPLICATION FOR TRUE CHARTERS COULD BE EXPEDITIOUSLY HANDLED
BY HONG KONG WITHOUT REFERENCE TO LONDON. IT IS ALSO RELEVANT THAT
ANG REPRESENTATIVES STRESS THE FACT THAT THEY MADE AN EARLY
APPLICATION (IN JULY TO MY OWN KNOWLEDGE, BUT THEY ALSO ALLEGE
CONFIDENTIAL
/ AS EARLY AS APRIL)