CONFIDENTIAL
GR 500
CONFIDENTIAL
FM F.C.0. 061045Z DEC 79
(86)
4KK 18415
•R..A
10 DEC 1979
INDEX
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG (FOR GOVERNOR AND BCARFE)
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1019 OF 6 DECEMBER
INFO WASHINGTON.
OUR ALLOT 22 AND YOUR TELNO 420: PAN AM ROUND THE WORLD ROUTE
1. AS WAS TO BE EXPECTED THE AMERICAN GOVERNMENT HAVE REQUESTED
ADDITIONAL LONDON/BOMBAY/HONG KONG TRAFFIC RIGHTS ON U.S. ROUTE 2
FOR PAN AM IN LIEU OF RIGHTS THE AIRLINES CAN NO LONGER USE AT
TEHRAN. THE REQUEST IS MADE AS BEFORE UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF
ARTICLE 2(5) OF BERMUDA 2.
see
2. THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT AMERICAN AIRLINES ARE BARRED NOT ONLY
FROM TEHRAN BUT FROM IRANIAN AIRSPACE AND THIS SEEMS LIKELY TO
CONTINUE FOR SOME TIME. IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES WE CONSIDER THAT WE
ARE BOUND BY THE AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE SOME RIGHTS OF APPROXIMATELY
EQUAL VALUE TO THOSE NOT NOW AVAILABLE FOR THE U.S. DESIGNATED
AIRLINE, AND THIS WOULD INCLUDE RIGHTS TO BOTH HONG KONG AND LONDON
FROM THE SUBSTITUTE POINT.
3. AS REGARDS THE BOMBAY/HONG KONG SEGMENT THE U.S. REQUEST NOTES
THAT B.A. NOW OPERATES ONLY ONCE PER WEEK AND ONLY FROM HONG KONG TO
BOMBAY. (BUT WE UNDERSTAND THAT B.A. HAVE PLANS TO INCREASE SERVICES AND C.P.A. MAY START SERVICES ON THIS SECTOR FROM ABOUT 1 APRIL 1980)
THE AMERICANS GO ON TO EXPLAIN THAT THE EXISTING B.A. FLIGHT ON
THIS SECTOR DOES NOT OCCUR ON THE TWO DAYS PER WEEK WHEN PAN AM OPERATE VIA BOMBAY (BUT BLINDED BETWEEN BOMBAY AND BOTH LONDON AND HONG KONG).
4. WE BELIEVE WE HAVE A CLEAR OBLIGATION UNDER THE AGREEMENT TO
PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE RIGHTS AND THAT ONLY RIGHTS LONDON/BOMBAY/HONG KONG WILL REASONABLY SATISFY THIS OBLIGATION. YOU WILL ALSO BE
AWARE OF THE EMOTIONALLY CHARGED ATMOSPHERE IN THE US IN RELATION
TO IRAN WHICH CANNOT BE DISREGARDED. THE AIR TRAVELLER BETWEEN
LONDON AND HONG KONG WOULD BENEFIT FROM THE GRANT OF SUCH RIGHTS.
CONTIDENTIAL
/WE