GF 323
CONFIDENTIAL
4.1
· 3-
機密
3. Efforts to get the standard improved
3.1
to
The Hong Kong Government has drawn such shortcomings to the attention of BA's senior
management over the past five years and of the Civil Aviation Authority more recently. It has also endeavoured, in any public official statements, present a balanced view of the reasons for the shortcomings to support the airline and to publicise the measures to be taken by the airline to improve its performance. Added to this, it has attempted to forestall further public criticism by suggesting to the airline or the authorities in the United
Kingdom any areas where improvement was needed.
3.2
The Government's observations on the airline's
performance have, in the main, been met with attempts by the airline to set matters right as far as that has been possible. However, improvements in the standard of punctuality and service have unfortunately not often been long sustained and the Hong Kong Government's attempts to explain the lapses have, in the past year, become increasingly unconvincing.
4. Possible solution
4.1
These shortcomings have been present for too long and it is time serious thought was given to more effective remedies.
4.2
As regards the causes of unpunctuality and unavailable capacity, (a) and (b) in paragraph 1.3 point to introducing on the route a second airline that is as far as possible not subject to the
vagaries of British labour difficulties or the weather at Heathrow. Problems of unreliable equipment and lack of capacity might also be met by the introduction of a competitor, as would the general discontent with the service (paragraph 1.4). An additional point is that the travelling public of Hong Kong believe that BA's poor performance is due principally to the absence of competition. The Hong Kong Government is finding it increasingly difficult to defend the existence of the de facto
mo
CONFIDENTIAL
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