Civil Aviation Authority Aviation House
129 Kingsway
London WC2B 6NN
Telephone 01-405 6922
Telex 892466
Mr David Austin
Hong Kong Department
Ext 491
Foreign & Commonwealth Office
LONDON SW1A 2AH
(pa) 180/2
CONFIDENTIAL
Mr. Thustin
A. speak. 24/10
CAA
DIRECTORATE OF OPEATIONAL
SERVICES OVERSEAS
International Operational
Services
Room 313
Our Ref: 10L/21/047
20 October 1986
180/2
29 OCT 1986
RECEIVED IN T
Dear Mr Austin
DESK O
INDEX
GISTRY Llution ToOIN
I am responding to your query addressed to Tony Doyle, our Chief Librarian, on the content of a number of telegrams concerned with proposals on the registering of aircraft in Hong Kong post 1997.
As you well know, the current AN (00 1977 as amended is being revised by the FCO in consultation with the Dependent Territories and the CAA, and if effort had been available the new AN (OT)O would have been issued this year. It now looks like slipping to next year but your own legal department should be able to advise further. Although at one time, Hong Kong was not going to be made subject to the new Order, but were expected to go their own way, as I understood it they had decided to at least start with an up to date Order before producing their own. We have had no news from the FCO on this for some months.
At present of course Hong Kong aircraft have to be registered in accordance with the UK AN(OT)O 1977, and with a registration mark allocated to the UK and her Dependent Territories under international arrangements. I would presume that this would continue to apply under any new Hong Kong legis- lation. Once Hong Kong becomes part of China, then her aircraft would normally be required to transfer to the Chinese register, although I believe it is possible to come to an arrangement internationally where an ex- Dependent Territory can continue to use their old allocation of registration identifiers on an interim basis. ICAO Annex 7 'Aircraft Nationality and Registration Marks' lays down the ground rules, that is the 'Standards' and 'Recommended Practices' that member states are committed to implementing as far as possible under the Chicago Convention. Although at present the UK has submitted differences to some of these standards whilst China has not, they are concerned only with balloons so would not be significant in the context of a transfer of aircraft from one register to another. The difficulties are likely to arise elsewhere in that Hong Kong/UK registered aircraft will comply with Hong Kong/UK requirements over a whole range of functions, airworthiness, operational standards, flight crew licensing, and particularly in the area of airworthiness could be out of line with Chinese requirements.
CONFIDENTIAL
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