اکمه
GR 320
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTAL
EM TOY YO 123740Z NOV 79 Seefitga
GTC PRIORITY DOT
TELEGRAM NUMBER ALLOT 5 OF 12 NOVEMBER
INFO PRIORITY BCARFE HONG KONG
HONG KONG TELNO 1466 TO FCO UK-JAPAN CIVIL AVIATION
HKK 184/1.
NO. 51 13 NOW979
INDI
497
1. TERASHIMA TELEPHONED TODAY, 12 NOVEMBER, AND SAID THAT THE JAPANESE HAD DECIDED THAT THEY WOULD QUOTE HAVE TO TAKE A NEGATIVE ATTITUDE UNQUOTE ON THE REQUEST FOR THE UNBLINDING OF THE ONE CATHAY PACIFIC L1211 FREQUENCY BETWEEN TOKYO AND SEOUL.
2. HE REHEARSED JAL'S CONCERN ABOUT THE INCREASE IN CAPACITY ON SE OUL-US WEST COAST ROUTES AND DIVERSION OF TRAFFIC AWAY FROM TOKYO-WEST COAST. HE INDICATED THAT IN PARTICULAR NORTHWEST, WHENEVER CRITICISED BY THE JCAB BECAUSE OF THE HIGH PROPORTION OF JAPANESE PASSENGERS ON THEIR TOKYO-SEOUL FLIGHTS, ALWAYS POINTED OUT THAT CATHAY WERE ALSO HEAVILY DEPENDENT ON JAPANESE CUSTOM ON TOKYO-SEOUL. THE JAPANESE FEARED THAT MAKING CONCESSIONS TO CATHAY WOULD WEAKEN THEIR POSITION VIS A VIS THE AMERICAN AIRLINES. 3. TERASHIMA SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE ABOVE WAS THE MAJOR PROBLEM THERE WAS ALSO THE SHORT TERM DIFFICULTY OF THE DROP IN TOURIST TRAVEL TO KOREA FOLLOWING THE ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT PARK. BOTH JAL AND KAL HAD MADE TEMPORARY CUTBACKS IN THEIR SERVICES. 4. TERASHIMA SAID THAT THE JAPANESE BELIEVED THAT THE PROBLEM OF THE BLINDED SECTOR COULD BE SOLVED BY A REARRANGEMENT OF THE AIRCRAFT CATHAY USED. FOR INSTANCE, IF TWO 747'S AND FIVE L1011'S WERE USED A DAILY SERVICE WOULD BE POSSIBLE.
5. SINCE WHAT TERASHIMA SAID APPEARED TO BE MAINLY A RESTATEMENT OF THEIR PREVIOUS OBJECTIONS WE DID NOT ATTEMPT TO DEBATE ANY OF THESE POINTS. WE ASKED WHETHER, IN VIEW OF THIS REPLY AND THE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENT NEED TO HOLD AIR SERVICES TALKS, THEY HAD ANY DATE IN MIND. TERASHIMA REPLIED THAT THEY DID NOT. THEY HAD NO FREE TIME UNTIL THE END OF FEBRUARY, BUT MARCH ONWARDS WOULD BE POSSIBLE. HE ADDED THAT THEY HAD COME NEAR TO EXHAUSTING THE JCAB TRAVEL BUDGET AND CONSEQUENTLY WOULD HAVE A STRONG PREFERENCE FOR
TOKYO IF THE TALKS WERE HELD BEFORE THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
THEREAFTER THERE WOULD BE NO PROBLEM IN GOING ELSEWHERE. WILFORD
AKLOT
MAFS
FED
HRGD
MR CORTAZZI MISS BROWN
CONFIDENTAL