WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 1979
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AS TO THE FUTURE, MR. JEAFFRESON MENTIONED THE VARIOUS IMPROVEMENTS WHICH BA ARE PLANNING FOR THE IR SUMMER SCHEDULE.
+WE HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT STARTING IN APRIL THIS YEAR THERE WILL BE AN EXTRA ROUND TRIP BOEING 747 FLIGHT, THUS PROVIDING WEEKLY A TOTAL OF 10 747' SERVICES EACH WAY PLUS ONE ROUND TRIP VC 10 SERVICE BETWEEN HONG KONG AND LONDON.
+BRITISH AIRWAYS ALSO SAY THAT THE SUMMER SCHEDULES WILL PROVIDE FASTER FLIGHTS BETWEEN HONG KONG AND LONDON.+
DURING THE QUARTER ENDING DECEMBER 31, 1978, 21 BRITISH AIRWAYS FLIGHTS OPERATING FROM HONG KONG TO LONDON AND THREE IN THE REVERSE DIRECTION MADE STOPS NOT SHOWN AS SCHEDULED IN THE CORPORATION'S TIMETABLE, MR. JEAFFRESON SAID.
MR. JEAFFRESON SAID THIS IN REPLY TO ANOTHER QUESTION FROM MR. CHEUNG.
+OF THESE 24 FLIGHTS, 16 MADE AN UNSCHEDULED CALL AT MUSCAT FOLLOWING A DECISION BY BRITISH AIRWAYS TO AVOID TEHERAN BECAUSE OF THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN IRAN,+ HE SAID.
OF THE REMAINING EIGHT FLIGHTS, HE ADDED HE WAS TOLD THAT IN FIVE CASES AN UNSCHEDULED STOP WAS MADE BECAUSE OF WEATHER CONDITIONS AT A SCHEDULED STOP. THREE FLIGHTS MADE AN ADDITIONAL EN ROUTE CALL FOR TECHNICAL REASONS.
REGARDING THE CORPORATION'S DECISION TO AVOID TEHERAN MR. JEAFFRESON SAID APPROPRIATE AMENDMENTS WERE MADE TO THE SCHEDULES PUBLISHED BY THE CORPORATION IN THE LATEST EDITION OF THEIR LOCAL TIMETABLE ISSUED EARLIER THIS MONTH.
IT WAS DIFFICULT, HE SAID, TO SAY TO WHAT EXTENT DELAYS TO BRITISH AIRWAYS FLIGHTS DURING THE QUARTER ENDING DECEMBER 31 WERE ATTRIBUTABLE TO THESE UNSCHEDULED STOPS.
+1 AM TOLD THAT WHILE THE UNSCHEDULED ADDITIONAL CALLS UNDOUBTEDLY ADDED TO TOTAL JOURNEY TIME, BA REGARD THE ORIGINAL CAUSE OF THE DIVERSION (FOR EXAMPLE, BAD WEATHER OR TECHNICAL PROBLEMS) AS THE MAIN REASON FOR THE DELAY, HE SAID.
MR. JEAFFRESON ALSO SAID HE WAS ADVISED THAT THE CALLS MADE AT MUSCAT IN PLACE OF TEHERAN DID NOT ADD TO THE TOTAL JOURNEY TIME.
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