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PROVED THAT THEY WOULD NOT, BUT HE IMPLIED THAT THERE MIGHT BE A NEED TO AGREE RESTRICTIONS ON CAPACITIES FOR ASEAN AIRLINES.
4. RAJARATNAM SAID THAT WHEN ASEAN NEXT MET THE AUSTRALIANS ON 2 MAY THEY WOULD DISCOVER WHETHER THE AUSTRALIAN OFFER TO
CONSIDER ASEAN PARTICIPATION IN THE END-TO-END SERVICES WAS
SERIOUSLY MEANT. HE HOPED THAT HIS OPTIMISM WOULD BE PROVEN
RIGHT. IF IT WERE, AUSTRALIA AND THE ASEAN COUNTRIES WOULD
HAVE TO CONSULT THEIR EUROPEAN AIRLINE PARTNERS TO FIND OUT IF
THEY ALSO AGREED. HE HOPED THERE WOULD BE NO PROBLEMS WITH
THEM AND HAD WRITTEN TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND TO
HERR GENSCHER TO URGE THIS.
5. I FIND IT DIFFICULT TO BELIEVE THAT THE AUSTRALIANS EXPECT
THE ASEAN COUNTRIES TO COME UP WITH A SCHEME WHICH WILL PROVE
THEIR CASE QUITE APART FROM THE FACT THAT TO ALLOW A THIRD
COUNTRY AIRLINE ACCESS TO END-TO-END TRAFFIC WITHOUT STOPO VER
WILL INTRODUCE, WHATEVER SINGAPORE MAY ALLEGE TO THE CONTRARY, A NOVEL PRINCIPLE INTO THE REGULATION OF INTERNATIONAL AIR
SERVICES (APART FROM THE LIMITED BREACH WHICH IS MADE BY OUR ALLOWING ONE OR TWO AIRLINES, AIR INDIA AND IRAN AIR AMONG THEM, TO PICK UP PASSENGERS IN LONDON FOR NEW YORK). IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE AUSTRALIANS MAY BE HOPING THAT THE DIFFICULTIES WILL ARGUE FOR THEMSELVES: PARTICIPATION IN THE END-TO-END SERVICES WITHOUT STOPOVER WILL THEN BE SEEN TO BE A NON-STARTER, AND DISCUSSIONS WILL REVERT TO THE ISSUE OF THE LEVEL OF THE STOPOVER FARES. I IMAGINE, TOO, THAT WE AND BA WOULD HAVE. SOMETHING TO SAY IF, CONTRARY TO MY EXPECTATIONS, THE AUSTRALIANS SHOVED THEMSELVES READY TO CONCEDE END-TO-END ACCESS TO THE TRUNK ROUTE TO SIA (AND OTHER ASEAN CARRIERS) WITHOUT STOPOVERS.
THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN AT THE BACK OF MY MIND THE FEAR THAT AT
SOME TIME WE MAY BE FACED WITH PROPOSALS WHICH WE COULD NOT GO
ALONG WITH AND SO GATHER TO OURSELVES THE 03LOQUY WHICH HAS UP
TO NOW BEEN VISITED ON THE AUSTRALIANS. THIS COULD HAPPEN IF
THE AUSTRALIANS AND ASEAN AGREED FARES FOR THEIR SECTOR WHICH
WOULD ONLY ALLOW ASEAN TO PLY FOR STOPOVER TRAFFIC BETWEEN
AUSTRALIA AND LONDON IF THE FARE FOR THE ASEAN-LONDON SECTOR
WERE TO BE REDUCED TO A DERISORY AND UNECONOMIC FIGURE.
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6. IN TALKING