WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1978
QUERY ON BRITISH AIRWAYS SERVICES BETWEEN H.K. AND LONDON
*****
THE GOVERNMENT CONSIDERS THAT THE ADEQUACY OF BRITISH AIRWAYS SERVICES BETWEEN HONG KONG AND LONDON IS GENERALLY SATISFACTORY BUT THE PUNCTUALITY AND DEPENDABILITY OF ITS SERVICES NEED TO BE IMPROVED.
THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, THE HON. DAVID JEAFFRESON, IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON. LYDIA DUNN IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
MR. JEAFFRESON SAID BRITISH AIRWAYS OPERATE 10 FLIGHTS A WEEK, PROVIDING ABOUT 3,800 SEATS, FROM HONG KONG TO LONDON AND VICE VERSA.
CONCERNING COMPLAINTS ABOUT INAVA ILABILITY OF SEATS OVER THE BUSY CHRISTMAS PERIOD, MR. JE AFFRESON SAID THIS WAS A WORLD- WIDE PROBLEM FOR NEARLY ALL AIRLINES, EVEN IN RESPECT OF THIS DEFICIENCY, BRITISH AIRWAYS TELL ME THEY ARE INCREASING CAPACITY OVER THE HOLIDAY.+
ON PUNCTUALITY OF THE SERVICES, MR. JEAFFRESON SAID THE BRITISH AIRWAYS' TIME-KEEPING GREATLY IMPROVED DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THIS YEAR COMPARED WITH THE LAST HALF OF 1977 AND PARTICULARLY COMPARED TO THE FIRST HALF OF 1977.
HOWEVER LONGER DELAYS WERE EXPERIENCED DURING JULY, AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR DUE TO MARKET DETERIORATION, HE SAID. DURING THESE THREE MONTHS, 63 PER CENT OF THE FLIGHTS ACTUALLY OPERATED WERE DELAYED FOR OVER 15 MINUTES, THE INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED STANDARD, AND THE AVERAGE DELAY WAS FOUR HOURS NINE MINUTES.
ON DEPENDABILITY OF THE SERVICES, MR. JEAFFRESON SAID SO FAR THIS YEAR, 36 BA FLIGHTS OUT OF TOTAL OF 1,273 SCHEDULED FLIGHTS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND LONDON WERE CANCELLED.
OF THESE CANCELLATIONS, HE SAID, 16 OCCURRED IN THE THREE MONTHS FROM JULY TO SEPTEMBER WHICH IS FOUR PER CENT OF THE TOTAL SCHEDULED FLIGHTS DURING THE PERIOD.