15
BA FLIGHT SCHEDULES *****
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 1979
IN THE THREE MONTHS FROM OCTOBER TO DECEMBER LAST YEAR. THERE WAS A MARKED IMPROVEMENT IN THE PERFORMANCE OF BRITISH AIRWAYS' DIRECT SCHEDULED PASSENGER FLIGHTS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND LONDON, THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, THE HON. D.G. JEAFFRÉSON TOLD THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY)
REPLYING TO A QUESTION FROM THE HON. OSWALD CHEUNG, MR. JEAFFRESON ADDED THAT WHEN HE SAID +BETWEEN HONG KONG AND LONDON+, HE INCLUDED JOURNEYS BOTH FROM LONDON TO HONG KONG AND FROM HONG KONG TO LONDON,
ON THE ADEQUACY OF THESE SERVICES, MR. JEAFFRESON SAID THERE CONTINUED TO BE 10 FLIGHTS A WEEK FROM LONDON TO HONG KONG, AND THE SAME IN THE OTHER DIRECTION.
+DURING THE TRADITIONALLY BUSY CHRISTMAS PERIOD, BRITISH AIRWAYS INCREASED THE CAPACITY ON THIS ROUTE BY INTRODUCING THREE EXTRA SERVICES WITH BOEING 747'S THAT PROVIDED 1,240 ADDITIONAL SEATS EACH WAY DURING THE MONTH OF DECEMBER.
IN ONLY NINE INSTANCES WERE SEATS UNOBTAINABLE ON A PARTICULAR FLIGHT TO LONDON, AND ON ALL OF THESE OCCASIONS SEATS WERE AVAILABLE EITHER ON AN ALTERNATIVE FLIGHT ON THE SAME DAY OR WITHIN 24 HOURS.
ON PUNCTUALITY, MR. JEAFFRESON HAD THIS TO SAY: WHEN I ANSWERED THIS QUESTION ON 18TH OCTOBER 1978, I SAID THAT DURING THE MONTHS OF JULY, AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER, 63 PER CENT OF FLIGHTS HAD BEEN DELAYED FOR OVER 15 MINUTES AND THAT THE AVERAGE DELAY WAS FOUR HOURS AND NINE MINUTES.
+THE DIRECTOR OF CIVIL AVIATION'S RECORDS OF TIME KEEPING IN RESPECT OF ARRIVALS AT AND DEPARTURES FROM HONG KONG SHOW THAT, DURING OCTOBER, NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 1978, 59 PER CENT OF THE BA FLIGHTS ON THE DIRECT HONG KONG-LONDON ROUTE WERE DELAYED FOR OVER 15 MINTUES, AND THE AVERAGE DELAY WAS TWO HOURS AND 50 MINUTES.+
MR. JEAFFRESON SAID THERE HAD ALSO BEEN SOME IMPROVEMENT IN THE DEPENDABILITY OF THE AIR SERVICES BETWEEN HONG KONG AND LONDON.
+REFLECTING THE PRIORITY WHICH TOLD HONOURABLE MEMBERS IN OCTOBER THAT BA SAID THEY WERE ACCORDING TO THE IR HONG KONG SERVICE, BA CANCELLED ONLY TWO FLIGHTS DURING OCTOBER, NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER 1978. COMPARED WITH 16 CANCELLATIONS DURING THE PREVIOUS THREE MONTH PERIOD.+
/AS TO THE