GROUPS 150A
CONFIDENTIAL
FM DUBAI 140737Z NOV
TU IMMEDIATE FCO
CONFIDENTIAL
Hkk 184/5
TELEGRAM NUMBER 208 OF 14 NOVEMBER 1979. INFO IMMEDIATE ABU DHABI AND HONG KONG.
INDLY
78
1 5 NOV 1979
NO. $1
(7)
YOUR TELNO 939 TO HONG KONG: AIR SERVICES.
Joe
80
Ins
ction Taku
ABU DHABI HAVE KINDLY REPEATED TO US YOUR T.U.R. AND HONG KONG'S TELS NOS 1597 TO YOU AND 1 TO THEM, SINCE THE NORTHERN EMIRATES ARE COVERED FROM HERE.
•
2. ALTHOUGH THE GRANT OF TRAFFIC RIGHTS MAY IN THEORY BE A FEDERAL MATTER, IN PRACTISE THE INDIVIDUAL EMIRATES ACT INDEPENDENTLY BOTH DUBAI AND SHARJAH ADOPT AN OPEN DOOR" POLICY OF ENCOURAGING USE BY AS MANY AIRLINES AS POSSIBLE. HAVING SO FAR FAILED TO ATTRACT MORE THAN A HANDFUL OF SCHEDULED SERVICES TO ITS NEW AIRPORT, SHARJAH WOULD BE PARTICULARLY KEEN TO SEE LAKER OPERATING THERE, AND THE LETTER IN HONG KONG TELNO 1597 IS
ใน ENTIRELY CONSISTENT WITH THIS ATTITUDE.
3. GIVEN THE COMPLICATED AND DELICATE STATE OF EMIRATE-FEDERAL RELATIONS, THOUGH THE SHARJAH ACTION MAY WELL DISPLEASE
ABU DHABI (AND INDEED DUBAI, WHO WOULD HAVE MORE IMMEDIATELY AT STAKE), I
IT MAY BE DIFFICULT FOR THE FEDERAL AUTHORITIES TO THWART SHARJAH'S ACTION, EXCEPT BY FINANCIAL PRESSURES OUTSIDE THE CIVIL AVIATION FIELD.
HASKELL
FILES:
MAED
HA&G D
MED
MISS BROWN MR MURRAY LORD BRIDGES
[COPIES SENT TO CAD/DOT]
HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE, LONDON
COPIES TO:
CONFIDENTIAL